Lowell Folk Festival takes a bow

Planning begins for next year’s 38th celebration

LOWELL — The stage lights of the 37th annual Lowell Folk Festival were turned off after the last acts finished their sets Sunday evening, but the glow of the three-day music, food and arts celebration lingered.

It was a high that Director Lee Viliesis was still savoring.

“I think the festival went really well this year,” she said by text on Wednesday. “The weather was perfect and both audiences and artists were having a great time. That’s all I could ever ask for in an event.”

The free festival is the longest-running in the United States and the 2024 lineup featured 20 performers on four stages, more than a dozen food vendors, numerous exhibits, dance tents and a variety of distinctive cultural experiences.

It also featured more than 200 bucket brigade volunteers, including Milo McFadden, who canvassed the almost 20-block footprint of the festival collecting donations for the extravaganza.

Milo is the 6-year-old son of Danielle McFadden, the president and CEO of the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce. The organization provides online and general fundraising support, marketing and public relations for the festival.

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