New Jersey Folk Festival Ends 50-Year Run at Rutgers, Plans Move to New Brunswick

After five decades at Rutgers University's Cook Campus, the New Jersey Folk Festival will stage its final show on April 26. The music celebration plans to start fresh in New Brunswick next year.

"It was quite a shock," said founder Dr. Angus Gilliespie to The Asbury Park Press. "I was stunned and upset about it."

Starting in 1975 at the Eagleton Institute, the festival later found its home at Passion Puddle. Year after year, music fans packed the grounds, turning the campus into a buzzing hub of folk sounds and traditions.

This year's stage will light up with the New Brunswick Jazz Project's beats, Tempo Alegre's rhythms, and the sweet melodies of McDermott's Handy. Jackson Pines joins the mix, while Kuf Knotz teams up with Christine Elise. Al Olender with James Felice, Jim Albertson, and Spook Handy round out the lineup.

The change struck when Rutgers' Department of American Studies stepped back from running the event in 2024. A new group, New Jersey Folk Festival Inc., picked up the torch.

Talks with New Brunswick paint a bright picture for the festival's next chapter. "It was a good run and I'm happy it isn't coming to an end," Gilliespie said. "We have a breath of new life."

Music fills just part of the day's magic. Artists show off skills passed down through generations. The air fills with smells from food stalls cooking up local dishes, while storytellers spin tales of New Jersey's past.

When Gilliespie retires from teaching this year, it marks another turning point. He gave the festival's reins to American Studies in 2019. Back then, students earned credits by helping out, a practice that ended with his exit.

The last Rutgers show kicks off at 10 a.m. and wraps at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26. Find your way to Passion Puddle on Cook Campus, and don't worry about tickets, it's still free.

For more information, visit njfolkfest.org.