Following a successful 2024 festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival triumphantly returns to Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township for its 62nd event this weekend, with a special Thursday night concert just for campers.
With a lineup that pays homage to the festival’s rich heritage while embracing new and diverse talent, attendees can expect a weekend filled with stellar performances and cherished memories for all.
Performers
This year’s lineup features internationally touring and Philadelphia-based artists.
According to the Festival website, the 2025 festival performers include:
Alejandro Escovedo · Alison Brown · American Patchwork Quartet · The April Fools: David Buskin, Robin Batteau, Christine Lavin, John Forster, and Carla Ulbrich · Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole · David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach · Eileen Ivers · The Gibson Brothers · John Gorka · John McCutcheon · John Moreland · The Lee Boys · Ordinary Elephant · Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley · Robin & Linda Williams · Solas · SONiA disappear fear · Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius · Vanessa Collier
And Features Performances by
Alex Radus Quintet · Ann Ramsey · Barry Rabin · Ben de la Cour · Brittany Ann Tranbaugh · Brother John, Johnny Never and John Colgan-Davis · Buskin & Batteau · Carla Ulbrich · Charlie Miller · Charlie Rutan · Chris Kasper · Christine Lavin · Cloudbelly · Danielia Cotton · Dave Fry · Elijah Wald · Emmett Drueding · Eric Abraham · Foxhound · Gather Round · The Give & Take Jugglers · Goldpine · The Great Groove Band · Heather Aubrey Lloyd · Hezekiah Jones · Hinton, Bower, Jones · Ian Zolitor · Jack Murray · Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr · Jesse Terry · John Byrne Band · John Flynn · John Forster · The Kennedys · The Keystone Breakers · Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise · Kyle Swartzwelder · Larry Ahearn · Lili Anel · Lisa Jeanette · Mark Schultz & The Wayne Rangers · Mason Porter · Matthew Gordon & Silvershade Scenery · Max Davey · Medea · Mike Miller Sings Again Presented by Sweet Corn · Mr. David C. Perry · Nick Franclik · Phoenix Rising Puppets · Reggie Harris · River Drivers · Sam Robbins · Swing That Cat · Todd Chappelle · Tracy Colletto · Two of a Kind · Whirled Music
A full schedule of performers is available here.
Tickets
Tickets are $119 for adults, $60 for "volunteens" (ages 12-17), $10 for children ages five to 11 and $1 for children under five. Buy tickets now here.
Day passes are available for $55 on Friday, $60 on Saturday, and $55 on Sunday. Child day passes for ages five to 11 are $10 a day through the festival. Children under five are free.
No illicit drugs or drug paraphernalia are allowed on festival grounds or campgrounds.
Camping
The Philadelphia Folk Festival fosters music discovery in a safe and family friendly setting with camping, food trucks, a variety of vendors and activities for all ages. Educational workshops and Dulcimer Grove (specifically designed for the youngest attendees of the festival) will offer enrichment and more enjoyment of the weekend.
The Philadelphia Folk Festival offers both tent camping and RV/Camper camping options, according to its website.
Campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis and cannot be reserved in advance.
Campers can arrive starting at 10 a.m. Thursday. All campers must depart by 11 a.m. Monday. Campsites include access to portable toilets, water stations, and trash disposal facilities. Access to food vendors and Campsite General Store for simple needs. Ice, Showers, Instrument/Valuable Storage available for purchase.
Campfires are only permitted in above ground appropriate fire pits, according to the festival website. Campfires must be located at or next to the campground roads, with no campfires in between campsites.
Security personnel are present throughout the festival grounds, including the campgrounds, to ensure the safety and well-being of all attendees, according to the website.
Pets
Pets are not permitted at the festival campgrounds, except for service animals.
Food
Food vendors include Lions Club, Perspective Grill, Scarlet Fire Pizza, Smokey Bandit Barbecue, Broccoli Bar, Federal Donuts and Chicken, Frios Gourmet Pops, Humptys Dumplings, Pasta Eva, Red Cedar Grille, Thai Town, The Pierogie Place, This is a Farmhouse, Thirst Trap, Upper Salford Fire Co., Virginia Vendor, and Zuzu Confections.
Vendors
Other events
Local author Elijah Wald will offer a presentation on his book, "Dylan Goes Electric! Newport, Seeger, Dylan, and the Night that Split the Sixties," the source material for the Timothee Chalamet film, "A Complete Unknown," and will be performing lesser-known Dylan songs from that era, according to a press release. He is also the author of "The Mayor of MacDougal Street," which the Cohen Brothers used to create "Inside Llewellyn Davis."
“Since the Dylan film is attracting attention to that period, I have recently begun touring a concert program of songs and stories from his early period in Greenwich Village,” said Wald in the news release. “I’ll be performing some early Dylan songs, both obscure and familiar, alongside songs he learned and adapted from people like Dave Van Ronk, Eric Von Schmidt, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Paul Clayton, and Jean Ritchie. I knew most of those people, played with some of them, and give a sense of Dylan's world before he hit the big time.”
Last week, in partnership with Rising Sun Presents, the Philadelphia Folksong Society previewed the 62nd Philadelphia Folk Festival with an evening at Bryn Mawr Twilight Concert Series featuring performances from Larry Ahearn, Lili Anel, Cloudbelly, and Max Davey.
The Philadelphia Folk Festival’s legacy includes a multi-generational audience who make returning to the farm each summer an annual event.
"I have been coming to Fest since I was three months old, and my family has been involved for decades -- my main gate family and my campsite family, who are truly my closest friends and a part of my family," said longtime gate volunteer Julie Leinhauser in a news release. "My dad hasn’t missed a festival in the last 50 years. During the dark pandemic days, my fest family and friends from the Folk Fest became even more like family. We celebrated, laughed, and cried together. We kept each other going. I am so grateful for the people and good times this festival has brought into my life."
For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival, including ticket sales, lineup announcements, and volunteer opportunities, please visit folkfest.org
The Philadelphia Folk Festival is a community of people coming together to share music and make memories between generations making a magical experience. Every year strangers become friends, and lifelong friendships are forged to create the Philadelphia Folk Festival family, where everyone is welcome.
