Lowell Folk Festival to Feature 60+ Performances, Parade of Flags This Summer
Fabiola Mendez, Elida Almeida, and Melissa Carper headline at Boarding House Park in Lowell, MA.
On Friday, July 24 at 6:15pm, the traditional Parade of Flags through downtown Lowell to Boarding House Park launches the 2026 Lowell Folk Festival. This vibrant opening marks the start of three extraordinary days of music and dance performances celebrating folk traditions from around the world. For more information about the Lowell Folk Festival visit lowellfolkfestival.org.
In recognition of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Middlesex County Volunteers Fifes and Drums will lead the parade. More than 40 flag-waving groups, each composed of local residents representing their ancestral homelands, will march from City Hall to Boarding House Park. In a joyful and moving celebration of America's rich diversity, each group will traverse in front of the main stage, proudly waving their respective flags.
Since 1987, when the National Folk Festival first came to Lowell (becoming the Lowell Folk Festival in 1990), this massive public celebration of world music and culture has grown into one of America's most popular free summer events. This year's festival holds special significance as the City of Lowell celebrates its own Bicentennial.
On Friday evening, the triple bill on the Boarding House Park stage features cuatro virtuoso Fabiola Mendez and her quartet, performing traditional Puerto Rican music of her home; Melissa Carper & Emily Gimble playing traditional country, and western swing tunes; and Cabo Verdean funaná and batuque singer Elida Almeida performing an irresistible cocktail of African rhythms, Latin instruments, top tier musicianship, and languid kriolu vocals.
Meanwhile at the Rockland Trust Bank Dance Pavilion, festival goers will be rockin' and rollin' to the zydeco beat of Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie and Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks playing the Delta blues.
The Festival continues Saturday from Noon-10pm and Sunday Noon-6pm full of music, dance, food, crafts, learning, and fun.
Find the entire 2026 Lowell Folk Festival Schedule Here
The Lowell Folk Festival features moderated talk/demonstration sessions that provide audiences the opportunity to hear Festival artists from diverse cultural backgrounds explore the connections, similarities, and differences in their musical journeys.
At the Saab Family Foundation at Market Street Stage on Saturday, the sessions are Songs of the Lowdown & Down-and-Out with Elida Almeida, Michela Musolino (traditional Sicilian songs), Catherine Russell (jazz and blues), and Melissa Carper & Emily Gimble. On Sunday, two different events: Moved by the Spirit with Haitian dancer Peniel Guerrier, The Chankas of Peru (Andean scissors dance), and the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers; and Doing Your Part: Harmony Traditions, with Alash (Tuvan throat singing), Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers (African-American gospel), and Tres en Punto (Trío romántico).
Saturday at the Richard K. and Nancy L. Donahue Stage at Saint Anne's Churchyard it's String Sensations with Irish musicians John Doyle (guitar) & Duncan Wickel (violin), Kunal Gunjal (South Indian santoor), and Fabiola Méndez (cuatro). On Sunday, Singular American Sounds, with Super Chikan, Dat Mighty 9 feat. Big Chief Romeo (Mardi Gras Indian music), Authentic Unlimited (bluegrass), and Geno Delafos.
In addition to dozens of music and dance performances on the festival's schedule, the Discovery Lowell Playspace, Experience Lowell Marketplace, and the always-popular Global Foods, the Lowell Folk Festival has something for everyone.
Global Foods offers hungry festival goers a world of options as cuisines from a variety of cultures, prepared and sold by local non-profits representing different cultures found in New England. Food vendors will be set up across the festival at Boarding House Park, the Rockland Trust Bank Dance Pavilion, and the Saab Family Foundation Stage at Market Street.
The Discovery Lowell Playspace, on Merrimack Street between John St. and Central St, is a fun and inclusive area where young festival goers have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of interactive activities. The Playspace Family Stage at the corner of Central and Merrimack will feature performances by local youth groups on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, including special sets by the Wampanoag Nation Singers & Dancers and The Chankas of Perú.
The Experience Lowell Marketplace, located in the Rockland Trust Bank parking lot at 222 Merrimack Street, showcases the work of local and regional artists, makers, and creative entrepreneurs, offering festivalgoers the opportunity to discover unique handmade goods while supporting small creative businesses.
For information about the 2026 Lowell Folk Festival visit lowellfolkfestival.org.
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