'It's magical to be back': New Bedford Folk Festival returns, celebrates special milestone

NEW BEDFORD — How do you define folk music? The short answer is, according to Alan Korolenko — originator of New Bedford Folk Festival, which returns on July 9 — you have to experience it to understand it.

The two-day festival, which takes over most of the downtown area, is back after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19. "We have been in the planning stages for three years," Korolenko said, who also serves as the artistic director with his wife, Helene Korolenko.

The New Bedford Folk Festival will feature 90 performances on seven stages, along with non-ticketed areas open to the public, including six blocks of craft vendors, a gourmet food court and beer garden and the local performer "SouthCoast Stage."

Korolenko said he still can't wrap his head around the fact that it's been 25 years. "If somebody told me in the first year, that we would still be doing this, it's remarkable," he said.

This year’s milestone festival will feature honorary performers such as Tom Rush, Susan Werner, Cheryl Wheeler, Garnet Rogers, John Gorka and more.

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Reflecting on its musical milestone

"I'm happy it's continuing," Korolenko added. "And 25 years. ... It's just been a constant evolution, to the point where we've gone from the waterfront, into the Historic District plus all the way to the Zeiterion theater."

Fall River's MaryBeth Soares has performed at all but one of the festivals. She remembers performing on Center Street next to the kettle corn machine.

"You literally just had to stop and let them finish," Soares said with a laugh. "Because the noise and the flying kernels. ... it was something you had to hold up for until it was done."

The New Bedford Folk Festival draws thousands to downtown New Bedford each year, and it has been recognized as a “Critic’s Pick” and one of “New England’s Greatest Celebrations” by the Boston Globe.

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"It was very much missed during the pandemic,” said Rosemary Gill, executive director of the Zeiterion. “We hear from many businesses that they have their best weekend during the Folk Festival, so I’m looking forward to the lively streets and bustling shops and restaurants that the influx of visitors bring to downtown New Bedford.”

Soares, who will be hosting the SouthCoast local stage as well as performing with Dave Pereira on Saturday, invites people to attend because it adds a little magic in your life.

"It's magical to be back," she said. "It brings so much of folk music into the city," she said, adding the camaraderie that happens on the stages is always unique.

Never-before-seen performances planned

Aside from the performances, the festival also has 25 workshops, featuring three to four acts who are given a theme and must create a 75- to 90-minute show. "You'll never see that, again. It's done," Korolenko said.

"They bring in material that they don't normally do when they have concerts. So it's a very unique thing."

Soares said she became a folk singer by accident.

After singing along with records, she crashed a party in the early '90s, and was asked to be part of a seven-voice Celtic a cappella group. She has been performing ever since.

"I'm very keen on the lyrics," she said. "But folk music leans to being in the moment."

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Soares and Pereira, both from the Kennedy Park area of Fall River, met when their engineering and mathematics paths crossed at college. Thirty years later, they reconnected to play music together at a Kinsale Inn song circle.

In 2019, Soares' folk and Celtic world collided with Pereira's standards and rock 'n' roll. The result is a morphing of styles and interests with tasty guitar work, pleasing vocals  and harmony — a very interesting treat that most people will be hearing for the first time on Saturday.

“We continue to attract high-caliber musicians who are the best in their genre,” added Korolenko, "These unique performances have helped New Bedford Folk Festival to become the gem it is today.”

Standard-Times staff writer Seth Chitwood can be reached at schitwood@s-t.com. Follow him on twitter: @ChitwoodReports. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Standard-Times today.

This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford Folk Festival returns, Tom Rush, Susan Werner to perform