The National Folk Festival opens today in Jackson, a first for the Deep South

by

Shamira Muhammad

• Published on November 7, 2025

A stage is assembled on State Street in Jackson. — Crew members assemble a stage on State Street in Jackson.
(Shamira Muhammad, MPB News)

The National Folk Festival begins today in Jackson. It will feature artists and musicians representing cultures found across America, including several from Mississippi. Blues artist Bobby Rush is expected to perform this evening. Other artists include Tres en Punto, a trío romántico band from Mission, Texas and Eileen Ivers, an Irish fiddler from the Bronx, New York. The festival will run through Sunday.

Shamira Muhammad

The National Folk Festival opens in Jackson

Fifth generation quilter, Ravin Hill Lovett, will have a booth featuring the craft taught to her by her grandmother, Luberta Hawkins, who was affectionately known as “Big Mama.”

“I do believe what was passed down was that my grandmother was very non-conventional, so unorthodox,” Lovett said. “I kind of feel like that's what I am, I'm non- conventional, I am unorthodox, but yet still housing the tradition, still housing the basics. Quilts were utilitarian back in the day for her. For me, they're more artistic expressions, but in the fabric of my life, they are utilitarian because it's a part of my purpose.”

Filer image — Ravin Hill Lovett holds up a quilt from her Underground Railroad series, which incorporates her interpretation of codes used by enslaved Americans.
(Shamira Muhammad, MPB News)

Lovett will showcase her quilts in one of the festival’s many booths. One quilt incorporates a stained glass motif, featuring an image of Jesus Christ surrounded by different pieces of African wax print outlined in black.

“That's why the black was added on there, to make it look like stained glass,” Lovett said. “Stained glass windows I felt are like the soul of the church. It's like the eyes of the Church. I love African fabric. I love the colors. I love the randomness of it.”

The folk festival will run annually in Jackson until 2027. Executive Director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts Blaine Waide says Mississippi just made sense.

“Mississippi was central to the emergence of American popular music in the middle of the 20th century,” he said. “It's the home of Robert Johnson and Jimmy Rogers and Elvis Presley, and the list just goes on and on.”

Master craftsmen, stilt walkers and food vendors will be present throughout the business district. Much of the featured art will be traditional, but some will incorporate newer technologies, including 3D printing. Traditional agriculture, chairmaking and even skateboarding will have demonstrations.

“It's a huge community lift,” Waide said.

Although the festival is free, Waide says the 50-60,000 attendees expected this year will create significant economic impacts.

“The economic impacts and benefits are 15 to 30 million dollars a year and that also comes in the form of tourism,” he said. “The festival is going to draw people, we hope, from Jackson of course and surrounding communities but also statewide and into Louisiana and Tennessee and Arkansas and Alabama.”

ADA-compliant shuttles will run between the Mississippi State Fairgrounds and Downtown during festival hours. JTran is offering free rides Friday and Saturday. Free festival parking is available at the Fairgrounds.

The folk festival is still accepting volunteers.