New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center will reschedule the 25th Annual New Bedford Folk Festival to July 9 and 10, 2022. The decision to further delay the anticipated festival, which takes place indoors and outside on the streets of downtown New Bedford, prioritizes safety for the audience, staff, artists, and crew in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s devastating to postpone the New Bedford Folk Festival because there are implications beyond our organization,” said Rosemary Gill, Executive Director, Zeiterion Performing Arts Center. “More than 150 artists and stagehands are not employed, and vendors can’t sell their wares. Pushing the festival another year impacts tourism, hotels, businesses and restaurants that would serve the more than 5,000 people who visit New Bedford for the event. But in 2022, the streets of downtown will come alive with the best folk from around the country and the Southcoast, and we will gather and sing together again.”
“The New Bedford Folk Festival has attracted thousands of music fans to the city’s downtown for decades and generates a significant economic impact on our region,” said Mayor Jon Mitchell. “While it is unfortunate that the pandemic has affected the event for a second year, the safety of our city is paramount. We look forward to the summer of 2022 and a great season for the festival’s 25th anniversary event.”
“We look forward to a truly magnificent 25th Anniversary of the New Bedford Folk Festival in 2022,” said Alan and Helene Korolenko, Artistic Directors, New Bedford Folk Festival. “All performers will be invited back for next year’s celebration and our seven stages will once again ring out with the amazing music you have come to love over the years.”
New Bedford Folk Festival ticket holders can expect an email with directions on how to proceed: keep their ticket(s) to the new date; donate the value of the ticket(s) back to the Zeiterion; apply the value of the ticket(s) to a future Zeiterion performance; or receive a refund. Ticket holders are asked to respond as soon as possible.
In addition to the festival, more than a dozen performances have been rescheduled for late 2021 and 2022. Tickets are now on sale for these rescheduled shows. Patrons can buy tickets with confidence; if the Zeiterion cancels or postpones for any reason, a refund or credit to another show is possible. Tickets to these performances are available online at zeiterion.org or by calling 508-994-2900 Tuesdays through Thursdays. Those looking to support the Zeiterion during this time of closure can make a gift in any amount to The Z’s Resiliency Fund at zeiterion.org/donate.
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission to provide New Bedford and the region with performing arts programming of excellence that inspires, educates, engages and entertains. Tickets are available for purchase at www.zeiterion.org and by calling 508-994-2900. Due to Covid-19, the Zeiterion is temporarily operating on a truncated schedule, Tuesdays through Thursdays.
