National Folk Festival Fundraising Committee Launches Yard Sign Campaign

Yard Sign Campaign builds support for festival’s first year

Jackson, MS — The fundraising committee of the National Folk Festival is on a mission to raise $100,000 in an up-close and personal way, by asking community members, families, and businesses to express their support for the launch of the National Folk Festival in Jackson by competing in a grassroots Yard Sign Campaign.

Donate $250 to the 82nd National Folk Festival and receive a yard sign. Each yard sign represents a donation to the festival as well as a personal billboard expressing support and spreading the word about the festival in front yards and businesses across the metro Jackson area. Neighborhoods, community organizations, coworkers, and more will be competing against each other to see who purchases the most signs, all while building excitement and anticipation for the entirely free-to-the-public National Folk Festival, the nation’s premier folk and traditional arts celebration, which is coming to Jackson for the next three years beginning this November.

“The National Folk Festival is an incredible opportunity for Mississippi and the Jackson area, and we know that once people learn about it, they will want to support it,” Thabi Moyo, the National Folk Festival Local Manager, said. “This campaign will not only raise critical funds to pay for artists, production costs, site infrastructure, and the many other expenses to launch a major festival that is free to the public; it will also create a core group of supporters who can say they helped bring this festival to Mississippi—one yard sign at a time.”

After the three-year residency in Jackson, the National Folk Festival will move on to a new host city, but the goal of local organizers is to create a sustainable music and arts festival that continues each year. Other former National Folk Festival host cities that have created long-running festivals include Lowell, MA; Richmond, VA; Butte, MT; Greensboro, NC; and Salisbury, MD. These are beloved events in their communities that deliver lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits.

“This campaign isn’t just for 2025,” said Andy Frame, a member of the festival’s fundraising committee. “In 10 or 20 years, we want to have the type of festival that Mississippi deserves, and the type of festival that will bring people from all over the world. People have already come from Europe and Asia to see Blue Mondays at Hal & Mal’s and to drive the Mississippi Blues Trail up to Memphis. We need a festival in our capital city that celebrates all the music, art, and culture that comes from Mississippi and continues to thrive.”

Supporters who donate $250 will also become a “Friend of the Festival,” and be added to the list on the festival website. The goal is to find 400 “Friends” to raise $100,000.

“This would be an incredible contribution from residents in the area that will show people that we’re all-in, even in year one,” Frame said. 

In addition to the Yard Sign Campaign, corporate sponsorships—on a much larger scale—are still available. The National Folk Festival is expected to draw between 60–80,000 people to downtown Jackson, November 7–9. Festival staff expect the direct economic impact to the area to be between $15-$30 million, generated from hotel bookings, shopping, travel, and visits to local restaurants.

Donate online today at NationalFolkFestival.com/sponsor-yard-sign and receive your National Folk Festival yard sign!

All donations to the National Folk Festival go to the National Folk Festival – Mississippi Fund at the Community Foundation for Mississippi. The Community Foundation for Mississippi is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization registered in the State of Mississippi.

For more information on the Festival, visit nationalfolkfestival.com. To engage on social media:

·       Facebook: facebook.com/NFFJackson

·       Instagram: instagram.com/NFFJackson

The National Folk Festival is a partnership of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the City of Jackson, Visit Jackson, Downtown Jackson Partners, the Greater Jackson Chamber Partnership, the Community Foundation for Mississippi, the Mississippi Arts Commission, the Mississippi Humanities Council, Visit Mississippi, and the National Park Service. The festival is FREE to the public.

The National Folk Festival is sponsored in part by: Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Mississippi Department of Archives & History, The Foundation for Mississippi History, Levitt Foundation, Atmos Energy, MWB, Hilton Jackson, Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Hinds County Economic Development Authority, Fox40, Capital Area Tourism, City of Flowood, City of Vicksburg, Visit Vicksburg, Explore Ridgeland, Jackson Redevelopment Authority, Southern Beverage Company, Fertile Ground Beer Co., Clarion Ledger, LocaliQ, Thomas Consulting Group, StateStreet Group, Amazon, and the Pecan Tree Park Neighborhood Association.