Destination Lowell
Don’t miss Destination Lowell, your introduction to the arts and culture of this creative city. Located on Merrimack Street, Folk Festival 2018 will features a dozen organizations offering information, giveaways, and lots more.
If your organization is interested in participating in Destination Lowell, please click on this link.
This year you can also help keep the Festival funded by stopping by our survey table and answering a few questions about what brought you to Folk Fest 2018. Information is forthcoming, but these are the organizations that exhibited in 2017:
The Lowell Historical Society: The Lowell Historical Society’s mission is to collect, preserve and publish materials related to Lowell and to encourage and promote the study of the city’s history. LHS sponsor several lectures and workshops throughout the year.
Lowell Celebrates Kerouac: Lowell Celebrates Kerouac! Inc. (LCK!) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote a better understanding and appreciation of Jack Kerouac’s life and literature. Founded in 1985, LCK! sponsors literary programs year round, including a festival in the first weekend of October. They also produce a spring program tied to Kerouac’s March 12th birthday, as well as other educational and cultural activities. LCK! volunteers help maintain Kerouac Park and Jack Kerouac Commemorative in Downtown Lowell.
Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust: The Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust (LP&CT) is a private, non-profit land trust located in Lowell, Massachusetts. LP&CT was founded in 1990 by residents with a vision to protect the natural resources upon which the city of Lowell was built. LP&CT provides conservation leadership and programs which focus on four major areas: land protection, stewardship, environmental education, and special places.
Merrimack Valley Antique Bottle Club: The Merrimack Valley Bottle Club meets once a month in Chelmsford and organizes an annual antique bottle show and sale. This year the event will be held at the Westford Regency Inn and Conference Center. The event features more than 80 dealers of antique bottles and glass.
Mill #5: Mill No. 5 offers loft spaces for tech start-ups, artists, and independent retail. It is a dining, shopping and entertainment destination with a farm-to-table cafe, a unique variety of shops and an independent movie theater. The interior of the mill is composed of salvaged historic buildings from throughout New England, arranged as an interior streetscape. The mill was built by an ancestor of Andy Warhol’s muse, Edie Sedgwick, in 1828.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre: Merrimack Repertory Theatre produces vibrant contemporary plays that explore the heart, humor, and complexity of our relationships. The intimate 279-seat theatre gets audiences close enough to the stage to realize every nuanced detail of the acting and designs created by leading theatre professionals from around the country. Founded in 1979, Merrimack Repertory Theatre is a professional, non-profit theatre company with a mission to “to advance the cause of human understanding through the art of theater.”
Pollard Memorial Library Foundation: The Pollard Memorial Library is a vibrant community hub and Lowell’s gateway to knowledge, meeting the information needs and enriching the quality of life in our community. The mission of the library is to provide diverse collections, state of the art technology, appealing programs and services to Lowell’s diverse population in a safe and welcoming environment.
The Gentlemen Songsters: The Gentlemen Songsters are devoted to enriching lives through singing. They perpetuate and celebrate harmony in the barbershop style and provide the opportunity to experience the joy of 4 part acapella singing. Hire them for you next event!
Western Avenue Studios: Western Avenue Studios is home to 245 working artist studio spaces, working in all mediums at all levels of experience. The artist community that has grown since its inception in 2005 is one of the largest on the East Coast. Western Avenue artists open their studios and lofts on the first Saturday of every month, inviting the public to explore and experience the creative process and purchase art direct from the artists themselves.
The Whistler House Museum: The Whistler House Museum of Art, birthplace of artist James Abbott McNeill Whistler, was established in 1908 as the permanent home of the Lowell Art Association. Founded in 1878, the Lowell Art Association owns and operates the museum as an historic site. Built in 1823, the Whistler House represents the richness of the history and the art of Lowell. This museum maintains its permanent collection of 19th- and early-20th-century New England representational artists and organizes contemporary and historical fine arts exhibitions in the adjacent Parker Gallery.
Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell: The Lowell Memorial Auditorium and The Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell play starring roles in the region’s cultural and entertainment scene bringing internationally acclaimed musicals, performances and NCAA Division 1 sports to the Merrimack Valley. Grand architecture, a magnificent setting along the Concord River and elaborate renovations has made Lowell Memorial Auditorium the venue of choice in the region. The Tsongas Center features a beautifully landscaped outdoor area, a spacious lobby, and function rooms overlooking the Merrimack River. It is the perfect venue for a variety of events, from business meetings to major shows.
Come on down and learn about Lowell!
Vendor Information
Commercial vending is restricted during the Lowell Folk Festival. If you are a commercial vendor who would like information about vending permits during the Festival, please contact us at LowellFolkFest@gmail.com
The restricted area is outlined in the map below. Only Lowell Folk Festival authorized vendors are allowed to vend in the areas inside of the red line. Download a pdf of the Folk Festival Vendor Restriction Map.
For Event Sponsorship Opportunities, please contact us at LowellFolkFest@gmail.com
If you’re interested in sharing your traditional foods with festival-goers as one of the ethnic food vendors at the 2018 Lowell Folk Festival, please contact the ethnic food committee chair, Janis Malisewski janski44@aol.com
Art in the Courtyard
Art in the Courtyard 2018
The Lowell Folk Festival presents Art in the Courtyard Arts and Fine Crafts, a venue of the Lowell Folk Festival in Lowell, Massachusetts, Saturday and Sunday, July 28 & 29, 2018. Art in the Courtyard is coordinated by the Brush Art Gallery. This exciting collaboration provides an opportunity for visitors to view and purchase some of the finest art and craft work.
Art in the Courtyard is held in the shaded, brick-lined courtyard between the National Historical Park Visitor Center and the Brush Art Gallery. Tents will be set up to provide a welcoming place, rain or shine. Conveniently situated between Market Street and the Dutton Stage, one of the main music and dance stages of the Folk Festival, Art in the Courtyard is a high-traffic spot during the festival. Local artists will also be displaying and selling their artwork at the neighboring Brush Art Gallery and Studios, creating a strong center for art and fine crafts for the Lowell Folk Festival.