(SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- The New Jersey Folk Festival (NJFF) is back for the 51st year on Saturday, August 29, 2026 at Davidson's Mill Pond Park in South Brunswick. The event is free and open to the public. It runs from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
The NJFF is one of the oldest, continuously operating folk festivals in the United States, and one of the largest outdoor cultural events in the Garden State.
This all-ages festival will feature four stages for music and dance performances, folklife and gardening demonstrations, local artisans and crafters, food vendors, activities for children and tours of the park grounds and on-site gardens. Free parking is available to attendees.
Performers from a variety of genres scheduled to perform include: Jackson Pines, Cimarrones, Zydeco Revelators, Charlie Apicella & Iron CIty, Cathedral International Music and Arts Ministry, the Mike Montrey Band, the Nrithyanjali Dance Ensemble, Water Street, and the Csurdongolo Folk Ensemble. This year’s festival is also proud to feature 11 of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts Heritage Fellows. The full stage line-up is available at njfolkfest.org
In addition to a variety of children’s activities, the festival will highlight the agricultural and environmental features of Middlesex County and New Jersey. In partnership with the E.A.R.T.H. Center, Middlesex County 4-H, and the Rutgers University Master Gardener Program, attendees can participate in garden tours, interactive gardening and environmental activities, and live animal demonstrations. The festival will also feature tractor rides throughout the park all day long.
The festival will feature a Heritage Area featuring artisans and historians from over 20 local and regional organizations conducting live demonstrations of their techniques and sharing knowledge of materials, design and history. The Folk Marketplace will consist of vendors and skilled craftspeople displaying traditional folk arts, including jewelry, woodwork, pottery, glassware, ceramics, and clothing. The NJFF will also feature a unique array of food vendors serving a variety of cuisines and treats including empanadas, ice cream, cajun food, craft sodas, kabobs, pierogies, smash burgers, and more.
Founded in 1975 on the campus of Rutgers University by Angus K. Gillespie, Ph.D, the festival moved to a new date and location in 2025 as a part of the Arts Institute of Middlesex County’s successful FolkLIVE series.
The 50-year mission of the NJFF has been to preserve the music, culture, history and arts of New Jersey. Each year the festival strives for diversity in presenting educators, crafters and musical performers, as well as reaching out to showcase the many ethnic communities found within the Garden State.
Sponsorship and volunteer opportunities are still available to be a part of this year's event. Sponsorship helps keep festival admission free while expanding access to music, arts and cultural traditions for the entire community. NJFF is operated by a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (New Jersey Folk Festival, Inc/ EIN 22-3590399) and with generous public and private funding.
Davidson’s Mill Pond Park is located adjacent to Route 130, near the intersection of Riva Avenue and Davidson’s Mill Park Road. Park amenities include an E.A.R.T.H. center (Environment, Agriculture, Research, Teaching and Health) featuring gardens and an arboretum, open play areas and hiking trails.
In addition to the New Jersey Folk Festival, this year’s FolkLIVE lineup includes the Gospel Music Festival 2026 at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick on Saturday, July 25; and Mexican Independence Day Festival 2026 at Monument Square Park in New Brunswick on Saturday, September 12. Full event details, including artist lineups and cultural experiences, can be found at www.MiddlesexCountyCulture.com.
The New Jersey Folk Festival is part of FolkLIVE, a project of the Regional Folklife Center at the Arts Institute of Middlesex County with support from the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners. The Regional Folklife Center at the Arts Institute of Middlesex County is a project of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
