About PFS/PFF
Founded in 1957 by a small group of folk artists and enthusiasts, the Philadelphia Folksong Society is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to to preserving the past, promoting the present, and securing the future of folk music and related forms of expression through education, presentation, and participation. The Society offers programs that present cultural history and provide enjoyment to tens thousands of people of all ages while preserving a vast variety of musical styles and historical perspectives. Its beloved landmark event the Philadelphia Folk Festival launched in 1962 and has gone on to become the oldest, continuously run outdoor music festival in all of North America. The Festival has earned a reputation for world-class programming, annually presenting both emerging artists and well-known talent that actively seeks to broaden public interaction with folk music that resides outside of typical perceptions of the genre. Now in its 59th year, the Festival responded to the global pandemic that devastated the music industry not by cancelling, but by pivoting the event to a fully interactive digital music experience that can by accessed by our core audience of four generations of festgoers in addition to music lovers around the world!
