Arcadia Folk Festival Striking a Chord in the Community
SPONSORED BY GREENFIELD SAVINGS BANK
Published in Northampton Living July 2025
The Arcadia Folk Festival is memorably mellow. According to its organizers, its chill vibe is one of its biggest draws. Jonah Keane, director of Mass Audubon’s Connecticut River Valley sanctuaries, including Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, notes that nature provides a tranquil setting. “People love the fact that they are never crushed with crowds or overpowered with sounds,” he says. “Some will even give me a list of the birds they saw.”
Seven years ago, Keane teamed up with Jim Olsen, president of Signature Sounds, a Northampton-based record label that promotes musical events. Olsen, whose first fest at Pete Seeger’s Clearwater taught him that a concert’s setting can define a musical experience, says the Arcadia Folk Festival is “the perfect beginner festival” – it takes place in the daytime, making it accessible to young children (kids under 10 are free, and craft tables are available all day) and perfect for parents; and it’s bike-friendly, solar-powered, and performed on three stages, meaning the music never stops.
In addition to the two main stages, there is the crowd favorite platform “In the Woods” – a clearing that guests can hike to for a special performance. Somehow, the day is so packed that it goes by in a flash – but it never feels rushed or overwhelming. “What amazes me about the festival is that it always seems like it’s five minutes long,” says Olsen.
Now in its seventh year, the festival provides entertainment as well as an ode to the environment. While the climate is in crisis, Arcadia models a sustainable event, providing an example of what’s possible in an eco-friendly community.
Vendors serve plant-based food that produces little waste, almost everything is compostable, and transportation by bike is prioritized and rewarded by the on-site bike valet. Of the 1,800 people who attend, not everyone is environmentally savvy, says Keane, but they may leave the festival both satisfied and inspired.
The Arcadia Folk Festival is also a tribute to the value of staying local. The Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary is now 80 years old, while Signature Sounds is celebrating its 30th year in business.
The two community mainstays love melding their audiences, who double as the event’s business sponsors’ future customers.“There’s nothing else like this in the area,” says Keane of the festival. Combining this kind of setting with this type of music really hits a chord.”
The festival kicks off on Friday, August 22 at 7 p.m. at the Academy of Music, and the main event is on Saturday, August 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Learn more at arcadiafolkfest.com.
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