National Folk Festival Taking a Hiatus in 2012

The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) has announced that the National Folk Festival will take a hiatus in 2012, and will not be presented in Nashville as originally planned.

The NCTA says that while the 73rd National Folk Festival held Labor Day weekend 2011 in Nashville was an artistic success, the free to the public event suffered funding shortfalls. Additionally, poor weather conditions over those three days added to the festival’s problems.

“Because so many people gave so generously of their resources and themselves to help launch the festival in 2011, it has been especially painful for our Board to conclude that we cannot present the Festival in 2012,” said the Council in a statement.

Nashville won the right to host the 2011-2013 National Folk Festivals after a bidding competition with more than 40 other communities. The NCTA has produced the Festival almost continuously since 1934, which has turned into a diverse, inclusive celebration of cultural tradition, heritage and identity.

“We still believe deeply in the promise of the National Folk Festival for Nashville,” the NCTA said, “We continue to seek ways to address the current fiscal challenge, as we turn our attention to 2013, the 80th anniversary of the NCTA’s founding.”

The Council is also currently inviting proposals from communities interested in hosting the 2014-2016 cycle of the National Folk Festival.