11:00AM
The Cathedral International Music & Arts Ministry
Based in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the Cathedral International Music & Arts Ministry serves the congregation and the broader community through traditional and contemporary Gospel song and liturgical dance in praise and worship. Guided by Psalm 100:2, they seek to “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before His presence with singing.”
Founded in 1892, Cathedral International, formerly known as the historic Second Baptist Church, began with 35 African American members of the predominantly white First Baptist Church on Fayette Street in Perth Amboy. When they were forced to establish a separate congregation, this faithful group grew alongside the city. In 1901, they established a mission at 315 Front Street, and by 1904, they had purchased a building on Gordon Street and formally incorporated.
11:45AM
Opening Ceremonies & National Anthem
Welcoming Remarks by New Jersey Folk Festival Board Members & Local Dignitaries
Introduction of Honorary Festival Chairs
National Anthem Performance by Pastor Seth Nix & the Cathedral International Music & Arts Ministry
12:15PM
The Long Hill String Band
The Long Hill String Band features fiddle, banjo, mandolin, upright bass, guitar, and voice in a lively celebration of Old-Time music, also known as American roots music and a precursor to bluegrass. Their repertoire includes reels, jigs, waltzes, rags, and ballads rooted in the Appalachian Mountains, where settlers blended musical traditions from their European and African homelands to create a distinctly American sound. The band performs frequently at fairs, historical sites, and square dances, and is often joined by their own troop of limberjacks.
1:15PM
Charlie Apicella & Iron City featuring Madame Pat Tandy
Charlie Apicella was voted onto the 84th and 86th DownBeat Readers Polls for Guitar. As a young guitarist, he met his idol, B.B. King, who offered him memorable guidance and stories.
Apicella studied composition and improvisation with Yusef Lateef and Pat Martino, and was trained as a historian by Archie Shepp and Billy Taylor. He has toured with blues artist Lil’ Jimmy Reed and performed with jazz greats including Dave Holland, Sonny Fortune, John Blake, Jr., and Avery Sharpe. He also serves as guitarist for the Sonny Stitt Legacy Band.
Madame Pat Tandy is a true original and a legend on the New York City jazz scene, widely known as the First Lady of New Jersey Jazz. A powerful and dynamic performer, she has captivated audiences around the world. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Tandy has spent most of her life in Newark and has performed professionally since the 1970s, including a long run with the legendary Philly soul group The Pretenders.
2:15PM
Water Street
Formed in a vacant auto body shop on Water Street in Blairstown, New Jersey, this alt-folk band blends jazz, soul, indie, Americana, and folk rock into a distinctive sound. With honest lyrics, rich harmonies, acoustic textures, electric guitar, bass, keys, and driving rhythms, Water Street creates music rooted in the folk traditions of northwest New Jersey, near the Appalachian Trail. Signed in 2024 to Tyler Ripley’s Free Dive Collective, the band leaves a lasting impression with every performance.
3:00PM
Zydeco Revelators
4:00pm
The Folk Mash-Up
New to our festival this year, we’ve asked some of our favorite artists to collaborate on a special closing set on the Angus Kress Gillespie Skylands Stage.
The Mike Montrey Band
Redbird
Jackson Pines Duo
Jackson Pines, the PBS and NPR-acclaimed duo of best friends Joe and James, write original songs inspired by their upbringing, travels, and the myths woven into everyday life. Rooted in the Pine Barrens, they also perform traditional folk songs from the region and have opened for artists including Old Crow Medicine Show and Billy Strings. Their new album, Wheel, was released in February on Only One On The Mountain Records.
Stage Emcee: Dr. Garrett M. Broad