I wouldn't call any of them stars, although some are better known than others. It's more about the traditions than it is the artists. But that being said, we do try to find the absolute best exponent we can find.

The festival presents a broad diversity of traditions and it is very inclusive, in terms of traditions that evolved here over hundreds of years to very recent immigrant groups. It's an eye-opening experience. It's sort of like you have the chance to grasp the complexity and diversity and wonder of culture in America – all in one event.

The National Folk Festival is a brand-new festival every year.

Joe's the man you call.

They value what has come to them from prior generations. They value the handiwork, making things themselves whether they're making music or making guitars… We celebrate these things that Americans keep, not the things that have been manufactured in Hollywood or in a Nashville studio, but the things that Americans keep for themselves.

The festival is going to be happening this weekend. Everyone who decides to come down is going to have a lot of fun even if it is a little drizzly.