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Date: 9/1/2021
EASTHAMPTON – Easthampton’s Arcadia Folk Festival is returning for its third year on Sep. 19 after COVID-19 cancelled the event in 2020.
The event, which is once again presented by Mass Audubon and Signature Sounds, looks to bring the community together around music in the heart of the Pioneer Valley to celebrate nature and the work of the Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary.
“It is going to be a very similar event as 2019,” said Jonah Keane, one of the Arcadia organizers from Mass Audubon. “It’s a very nice, mellow, and family-friendly hangout with some music. It’s just a great community event.”
Much like the 2019 festival, the 2021 event will have a main stage, a secondary stage, and a very small stage near the woods. Musical acts will include Suzanne Vega, Lori McKenna, Chris Smither, Ladama, Barnstar!, Lizzie No, Matthew Fowler, The Green Sisters, Little Roots and Love Crumbs. Children's activities and nature hikes will also be happening throughout that day.
“Signature Sounds does a really nice job of finding a really nice mix of different sounds and artists,” said Keane. “They do a really nice job of finding those folks that we haven’t heard of…but we’re really happy we’ve heard of them now.”
The price for tickets is $59.99 for an adult or child and free for people age 10 and under. Once tickets are purchased, they are non-transferable and cannot be shared. Refunds will not be available. Gates will open at 10 a.m., and the festival will continue until 6:30 p.m. that night.
According to Keane, both Mass Audubon and Signature Sounds are working on COVID-19 protocol and hope to have specific instructions available on the website by the end of the week.
A free bike valet service will be available all day during the festival for people who want to bike to the event. According to the Mass Audubon website, anyone who bikes will have a chance to win a prize. Prizes include two tickets to an upcoming Signature Sounds show, an Arcadia Folk Festival t-shirt, an Arcadia Folk Festival poster, or a $25 gift certificate to Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary-which can be used for programs or the gift shop.
Mass Audubon also encourages people to carpool if they attend by car. There will be no shuttles between the parking areas and the festival, but golf carts will be available for those who need the most assistance. Festival-goers arriving by car are asked to park at Arcadia Meadows at 525 Old Springfield Rd. in Northampton.
The festival came about a few years ago to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary. Located in Easthampton and Northampton, the sanctuary contains a diverse terrain of forest, meadows, grasslands, marsh and wetlands that attract a large amount of wildlife. Since 1944, Arcadia staff have been protecting important habitat, connecting people of all ages to nature, and advocating for sound environmental policies.
“Arcadia is the hub of Mass Audubon’s activity in the valley,” said Keane, who added that their focus extends beyond just that region in the area. “Right now, we have a really bold and ambitious strategic plan for our organizations statewide that is impacting a lot of our focus here in the valley.”
Mass Audubon is currently working on addressing climate change, protecting more land, and getting people more involved with nature. Part of these initiatives includes getting more Springfield youth connected with nature. They just finished a summer pilot program that brought Springfield middle schoolers out to their Laughing Brook in Hampden, for example.
"We’re really excited for this event, and I know the community is as well,” said Keane, regarding the festival. “We’re going to have some precautions in place, but we’re just thrilled to be able to do it.”
For more information on the festival, the sanctuary, and where to buy tickets, visit https://www.arcadiafolkfest.com/about.