A Day in Jawnvnille: Philly Folk Festival 2016

by Posted on

It was a busy weekend in Jawnville. After drinking more beers than planned at 97.5 the Fanatic’s Fantasy Fest, we decided to head north to the town of Harleysville, PA for the Philadelphia Folk Festival.

Music festivals aren’t anything new to me. I’ve been to Lollapalooza, Vans Warped Tour, Ozzfest, and the Mosters of Rock. However, the folk festival was a completely different animal.

The similarities of the previous music festivals that I’ve attended and the Philly Folk festival are quite minimal. They are alcohol, drugs, and music.

People were friendlier and more welcoming at the folk festival than my previous “fest” experiences. Perhaps the lack of aggression and moshing lends itself to a more welcoming environment. I saw way more smiles than elbows. Or, maybe it was acid or molly. I can’t say for sure, but I’m feeling certain those recreational substances were readily available and in use.

I’m hoping everyone in the campground area had sun block because clothes were not a popular item over here. There was a fair share of shirtless guys and ladies in swimwear wandering around the campground. I’m not sure if there was an actual pool aside from the kiddie pools people had at their camp sites. If you’re a band playing the festival in the future, don’t expect to move a lot of shirts with this crowd.

The people watching the acts on the main stage wore more clothing and were all over the fashion spectrum from togas to kilts to tie-dyes. Yo, tie-dyes were everywhere. That was a shock. I never put the Grateful Dead crowd together with the folk crowd. Then it dawned on me, it might be a folk festival in theory, but not in music.

I didn’t hear any folk the time that I was there, aside from genius gutter-folk that is Philly’s own Driftwood Soldier. I heard R&B, some kids harmonizing with kazoos, and gospel. I left before Los Lobos played as the headliner, but they aren’t really folk either.

The festival name is misleading. This is more or less a festival of music that is pleasant in nature. I don’t know what you call a festival like that. People were high and the music was happy. Perhaps it should be called Philly’s High and Happy Festival.

In the end, it was a good day. Different, but good. I suggest anyone who is interested in being high or happy consider attending a future Philly Folk Festival.

Here’s a slideshow of our day at the Fest, as the attendees refer to it.

[slideshow_deploy id=’5796′]