Philadelphia Folk Festival returns this weekend at Old Pool Farm

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In its 61st year, the Philadelphia Folk Festival returns this weekend to pack Old Pool Farm with artists from all walks of life.

The festival took a hiatus in 2023. This year, the seven performance spaces will once again provide a soundtrack for campers throughout the weekend. Guitar symposiums, yoga classes and sound healing classes will also be offered.

Artists from all across Delaware Valley will be represented. Featured acts include musicians and bands such as John Oates and Gangstagrass, the hip-hop and bluegrass group who have made appearances on “America’s Got Talent” and created the theme for FX’s “Justified.”

The producer Rench, who is part of Gangstagrass, said crowds that tend to come out to their shows share a common enjoyment of both genres of music.

“There was like an overlap that we don’t think about how many people actually already like both things because we’re presented this image from the media,” Rench said. “You know, separate magazines, separate charts, separate radio stations, and we get this idea that, like, these are like really separate worlds. But actually, there’s a lot of people out there that are appreciating good music for good music.”

R-SON the Voice of Reason is one of the featured MCs in the group. A Philadelphia native, he said he’s “geeked” to be on the same poster as John Oates.

“The most interesting part is when you do festivals and you just got a whole bunch of people, it’s just a matter of really just reaching them,” R-SON said. “The music is so good that it’s hard for somebody to be like, ‘Nah, I’m not messing with this.’ The quality is there, so whoever we’re with, whoever we’re rocking out for, gets it.”

Fans attending the Gangstagrass concert at the Martin Stage on Friday can expect to hear some cuts from their new record, ”The Blackest Thing on the Menu,” as well as a lot of spontaneity.

“Bluegrass and hip-hop both have a strong improvisation element between freestyling and soloing and stuff, so we take full advantage of that,” Rench said.

Tony Award–winner John Gallagher Jr. brings his band

Wilmington native John Gallagher Jr. is probably best known as an actor. He won a Tony for his performance in “Spring Awakening” and starred in Green Day’s “American Idiot” on Broadway.

He said he spent many years attending the Philadelphia Folk Festival with his family, witnessing legendary artists like Buddy Guy, John Prine and Richie Havens. This year, he is looking forward to debuting with his band on the Martin Stage and connecting with his Delaware Valley roots.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t really know how good I had it at the time,” Gallagher Jr. said. “It was just something my parents would take me to and I’d get to walk around the field and check out all the stages and as a result, I got so hooked on music. That was a big part of why I wanted to learn how to write songs and play them, so this festival in particular, not only does it feel like home … it feels like a Mecca.”

Gallagher has carved out a folk music career releasing multiple albums in the last decade. He hopes to delight the audience with numbers from his latest album ”Goodbye or Something.”

“I always try to kind of bring a kind of stadium rock energy to wherever I’m playing,” Gallagher Jr. said. “Even if it’s a small bar, I try to put on a big show and make sure that people get their money’s worth, so that’s what I’m going to be going for on Friday.”

The Philadelphia Folk Festival runs Friday–Sunday at the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township. Day passes start at $100 dollars. The concerts are scheduled from 11 a.m. until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Campers can set up their campsites Thursday at 10 a.m.