SALISBURY, Md. - The City of Salisbury has announced that the Maryland Folk Festival will not be held this year due to reported funding challenges.
In a press release on Wednesday, Salisbury officials said they had determined it was not possible to produce the 2026 festival at previous levels of quality in years before. The announcement follows a difficult sponsorship and grant cycle, according to officials.
“This was not an easy decision,” said Caroline O’Hare, Events & Culture Manager for the City of Salisbury. “The folk festival has become a meaningful tradition for our community—bringing people together through music, dance, food, and shared experiences. We are incredibly proud of what has been built over the years.”
Officials say the Maryland Folk Festival has drawn tens of thousands of attendees to downtown Salisbury since its transition from the National Folk Festival.
“We’re taking this time to reflect and look ahead,” O’Hare said. “Our goal is to continue building meaningful experiences for our community in new and thoughtful ways. We’re already beginning conversations around future community-centered programming and exploring what a new event in Fall 2027 could look like for Salisbury.”
City officials say the Salisbury Arts, Business, and Culture Department will share more information as future programming is planned.
