First Lady of Virginia Anne Holton, with City of Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder to Open 69th National Folk Festival

First Lady of Virginia Anne Holton, with City of Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder to Open 69th National Folk Festival

Opening performances represent rich and diverse Virginia history commemorating Jamestown 1607 anniversary

RICHMOND, Va., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- First Lady of Virginia Anne Holton, along with Richmond Mayor L. Douglas Wilder, will open the 69th National Folk Festival this Friday, October 12, 2007, at 7:15 p.m. on the Ukrop's/First Market Bank main stage. The opening ceremony will not only include remarks from First Lady Holton and Mayor Wilder, but also from Bill Axselle, Richmond Region 2007 chairman of the board, and Julia Olin, executive director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts. Included in this ceremony will be a symbolic "passing of the torch" from Richmond, Virginia, to Butte, Montana, the new National Folk Festival host city, 2008 - 2010.

"On Friday night, as part of the festival kickoff, the main stage performances celebrate the meeting and blending of diverse cultures in early Virginia from which developed the rich cultural traditions of the Commonwealth and the nation. This is a fitting way to commemorate the anniversary of the 1607 founding of Jamestown as well as the Richmond Region," said Wilson Flohr, executive director of Richmond Region 2007. "The National Folk Festival has been a signature event of Richmond Region 2007 and this symbolic ceremony is a perfect end to three years of our hosting this incredible event and commemorating our 400 years of history."

Beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the field in front of the Ukrop's/First Market Bank Stage, the Virginia Intertribal Dance Group, representing Virginia's first peoples, will perform drumming, singing and dance. At 7:30 p.m., following the opening remarks, the Kotchegna Dance Company, one of America's premier West African dance and percussion ensembles, will take the stage Next, representing the rich musical traditions of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains are Wayne Henderson and Jeff Little who will take the stage at 8:25 p.m. And rounding out the Virginia themed opening night, are The Holmes Brothers of Christchurch, Virginia, performing blues, gospel and R&B, starting at 9:45 p.m.

To learn more about the National Folk Festival and for a complete schedule of events for the entire weekend, please visit http://www.venturerichmond.com/ or call (804) 788-6466.

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Source: National Folk Festival

CONTACT: Katie Boyer, Public Relations Manager of National Folk
Festival, +1-804-492-9448, Mobile: +1-804-484-9290,
katie@stgabrielcommunications.com

Web site: http://www.venturerichmond.com/
http://www.nationalfolkfestival.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment