National Folk Festival Sweet Music For Salisbury Economy

The recent 80th National Folk Festival in Salisbury has the Crossroads of Delmarva singing a happy tune.

An economic impact study indicates that the festival drew about 91,000 people over its three days, and that it generated about $19.8-million in economic activity. The study conducted by BEACON, the Business and Economic Community Outreach Network at Salisbury University takes into account money spent by visitors, vendors and performers.

Also, the study indicates that about 40-percent of attendees, or 35,000 people, traveled from outside of the Salisbury area.

“While this year’s in-person festival was different than any National Folk Festival before it due to the global pandemic, the results of the economic impact study suggest how impressive the festival’s effects are, and will continue to be, on Salisbury’s local economy,” Salisbury Mayor Jake Day said. “Thank you to the teams at BEACON and Salisbury University for working with us for the third year to conduct this study.”

The National Folk Festival was in its third year of residency in Salisbury, and will return in late August 2022. The National Folk Festival is produced in partnership by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) and the City of Salisbury.

“Through its partnership with the host city, the National Folk Festival is an economic and cultural powerhouse that unites communities in renewing civic pride, strengthening community collaborations, and spurring investments in community infrastructure and long term economic development,” NCTA Executive Director Lora Bottinelli said. We see in the results of the survey that the National has achieved success again, and we are proud of our work in collaboration with the City of Salisbury and the surrounding communities.”  

To review the study, please CLICK HERE