Maryland Folk Festival

05/14/2026

05/06/2026

SALISBURY, Md. — The City of Salisbury has announced that the Maryland Folk Festival will not take place in 2026 due to funding challenges following a difficult sponsorship and grant cycle.

After careful evaluation, the City determined that it is not possible to produce the Festival at the level of quality and experience that the community has come to expect.

“This was not an easy decision,” said Caroline O’Hare, Events & Culture Manager for the City of Salisbury. “The folk festival has become a meaningful tradition for our community—bringing people together through music, dance, food, and shared experiences. We are incredibly proud of what has been built over the years.”

Since its transition from the National Folk Festival, the Maryland Folk Festival has welcomed tens of thousands of attendees to downtown Salisbury each year, featuring nationally and internationally recognized artists alongside regional performers and cultural traditions. The event has served as a cornerstone of the City’s arts and culture programming and a significant driver of downtown activity.

The City of Salisbury expresses its sincere appreciation to the many sponsors, volunteers, artists, local businesses, and city employees who contributed to the festival’s success over the past decade. Their support helped create a welcoming, family-friendly event that celebrated cultural diversity and community connection.

While the Festival will not take place this year, the City of Salisbury’s Arts, Business, and Culture Department remains committed to creating opportunities for residents and visitors to experience the arts, engage with diverse cultural traditions, and connect with one another.

“We’re taking this time to reflect and look ahead,” said O’Hare. “Our goal is to continue building meaningful experiences for our community in new and thoughtful ways. We’re already beginning conversations around future community-centered programming and exploring what a new event in Fall 2027 could look like for Salisbury.”

Additional updates from the City of Salisbury Arts, Business, and Culture Department will be shared as future programming takes shape.

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04/02/2026

Shout-out to Shore Distributors for stepping up early in support of the Maryland Folk Festival. Early partners help make everything that follows possible, and we’re grateful to have you with us..

04/01/2026

Applications are still open for the Maryland Folk Festival Artisan Marketplace—and there’s no fee to apply.
https://mdfolkfest.com/marketplace/

04/01/2026

So grateful to Anne & Dick Morris for supporting the Maryland Folk Festival since 2018.

They’ve believed in this festival — and its mission — from the very beginning, here in Salisbury and beyond. We’re lucky to have them in our corner.

03/27/2026

The parade just got even better — thank you to Avery Hall Insurance Group for sponsoring the 2026 Maryland Folk Festival Parade!

We’re so glad to have their support as we get ready to fill the streets of Downtown Salisbury with music, color, and celebration.

03/26/2026

Thank you to First Shore Federal for jumping in early as a T-Shirt Sponsor for the 2026 Maryland Folk Festival! We are grateful for their support and excited to have them with us as we start building another great festival for Downtown Salisbury . We’re in for 2026 — and First Shore Federal is too.

02/27/2026

Festival friends and past folklife demonstrators Anna and David Bruning of Mumford Shellfish suffered a devastating fire during the recent winter storm that destroyed their oyster packing plant. If you are able please consider donating to help them rebuild https://gofund.me/98a63d244

02/27/2026

This Saturday, the Edward H. Nabb Research Center for Delmarva History & Culture is presenting Tracing Our Roots, an incredible program to aid you discover your family's stories and experiences. Scan the QR code to register.

Join Local History Archivist Ian Post for "Tracing Our Roots: Where did our families come from?" this Saturday at 11AM on Zoom. Use the QR code to register.