Tucson Folk Festival Takes Place Downtown This Weekend

TUCSON, AZ —The 37th Annual Tucson Folk Festival will be held this weekend downtown. The three-day event bills itself as one of the largest free festivals in the country.

The festival, which takes place from Friday night to Sunday, is sponsored by the nonprofit Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association (TKMA) and features six stages and 125 live performances.

The entertainment includes: national headliners, local and regional acoustic acts, shows for the whole family and young artist showcases. There also is a songwriting competition.

"The Tucson Folk Festival is a free and accessible festival celebrating Americana/Folk Music traditions and all the wonderful variations, including: American bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, Celtic, zydeco and various styles of Latin and Mexican music!" organizers said. "This annual family-friendly festival is held in some of the most historic sections of Tucson."

Among the headliners of this year's festival are siblings Sean Watkins and Sara Watkins, who play together as the Watkins Family Hour. They will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Tucson Folk Festival Plaza Stage.

The duo normally are part of the band Nickel Creek, an acoustic ensemble that has sold millions of albums, won a Grammy and toured the world.

The Watkins Family Hour's second album Brother Sister was released in 2020.

"Alternating on lead, the pair's vocals remain a model of sibling harmony, while the interplay between Sean's intricate guitar picking and Sara's elegant fiddle is similarly impressive," wrote Neil Spencer in the Guardian.

The Watkins Family Hour show will be preceded by longtime folk performer Vance Gilbert, who plays on the same stage at 7 p.m. Saturday.

At 6 p.m. Sunday on the Plaza Stage, Tish Hinojosa will perform. The Mexican-American singer-songwriter has written and worked with legends like Peter Rowan, Joan Baez, Chris Hillman, Booker T. Jones, Kris Kristofferson and Pete Seeger.

A full list of performances, locations and times is available online.

The festival kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday with the Stefan George Memorial Songwriting Competition, which includes finalists from Tucson and other parts of the country. The event will be held at the Club Congress Plaza Stage, 311 E. Congress St.

In addition to the Plaza Stage and Club Congress Plaza Stage, performances will be held at:

• Wildflower Stage at JacomePlaza, 101 N. Stone Ave.
• Courthouse Stage at Pima County Historic Courthouse, 115 N Church Ave.
• North Church Stage at North Church Avenue just north of Alameda/Church intersection
• Presidio Museum Stage at Presidio San Agustin del Tucson Museum, 196 N Court Ave.

Additional details about the festival are available on the Tucson Folk Festival website.