The gets underway in Greensboro on Friday night, marking the three-day festival's second year in the Triad.
This year's rendition includes big names that do not necessarily fit neatly under the folk genre, including North Carolina bluegrass band , and hip-hop pioneer DJ Grandmaster Flash.
"Some people think of the folk music revival of the 60s with Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. For us, folk music is music of the people," said Arts Greensboro CEO Tom Philion. "What that means ... is everything that is representative of a living tradition in America."
Greensboro will host the National Folk Festival through next year. Philion said the city has plans to carry on with its own statewide festival after 2017.
