Lowell Folk Festival Solicits Public Donations for 39th Annual Event

Plans are coming together for the 39th Lowell Folk Festival, running from Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26.

During the event, downtown Lowell streets will close to vehicle traffic so attendees can enjoy a lineup of music, food vendors, and family activities across multiple venues. The festival is produced by a coalition of organizations and institutions, including the Lowell Festival Foundation and city partners, with support from various foundations and local sponsors.

Organizers are asking the public to keep this long-running, second-largest free folk festival in the country going. “If everyone who attended the festival gave just $10, we would cover the cost of producing the event,” Director Lee Viliesis said in an email sent to The (Lowell) Sun on Wednesday, Jan. 7. The event receives tens of thousands of visitors.

Individuals can donate or support the festival via the Lowell Folk Festival website. 

According to The Sun, the event has weathered recent challenges, including pandemic cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the loss of a key hotel partner in 2024, and funding volatility in 2025 tied to changes in federal grants. Viliesis noted that organizers are continuing to pursue NEA funding for 2027.

Last year, the festival ended in the black for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Viliesis told The Sun that the first two days of last year's festival delivered heat, humidity, and sunshine. Sunday, however, was filled with steady rain, followed by downpours that ended just in time for the final acts of the night to perform.

“Alcohol sales in 2025 were lower than expected, but that matches parking data that we have that shows lower attendance on Sunday with the rain discouraging audiences from coming out,” Viliesis stated.

The festival relies on contributions to cover nearly $1 million in annual production costs, with more than half of that funding coming from partners, sponsors, grants, and public agencies that are increasingly restricted.

Viliesis noted that volunteer support remains essential to the festival's success. Volunteer support encompasses shuttle operations, recycling tents, vendor and performer logistics, and the Bucket Brigade fundraiser that collects donations during the event.

Besides the music, the festival also offers Global Foods pavilions. Local nonprofits prepare dishes at the festival and sell dishes representing several ethnic cultures in New England. The cuisine features Greek, Filipino, Hispanic, Jamaican, Southeast Asian, mixed African, and Middle Eastern specialties.