An Important Message from the Folklore Village Board of Directors

Just like so many organizations in the country and throughout the world, Folklore Village stands at great risk due to the current health crisis we all face. We have been forced to make the heart-breaking decision to cancel or postpone all of our programs over the coming weeks and close the doors of our beloved gathering place until further notice.

As a small, independent folk arts center, this will have a huge impact on many levels and as you can imagine, it means we are in for a very difficult time. Our hard-working, loyal staff’s source of income is in danger; musicians, dance instructors, and our favorite chefs have been left in the devastating position of having gigs cancelled… and finally, our beloved venue, which relies on your support, will be left without the regular TLC it needs for an undetermined amount of time. Without our usual sources of income, Folklore Village is under critical threat and if any of you are in a position to help, we would be most grateful.

There is a growing online movement to support grassroots venues, suggesting that people who have a ticket for a cancelled show, can opt not to receive a refund, but instead choose to use this as a donation towards helping the venue through this difficult time. Many of you have already donated the funds you paid as registration fees to events we’ve had to cancel, and we are so very appreciative of your generosity – THANK YOU!

Nevertheless, in order to keep solvent, and maintain our fine staff, we are still in need of funds. If you would like to make a donation to show your support, you can do so via GiveLively. A particularly helpful option is to join our Circle of Love and give on a monthly basis. Any and every amount helps. We will use put these donations towards retaining our hard-working, dedicated team and helping our cherished organization through this difficult period.

We do know that the music, dance, arts and food traditions that our community values will not die. They will still be there when we come through this episode in history. However, we hope that Folklore Village will also still be there, to help connect people with these traditions. It’s not just about us as an organization, but about our key role as a connector between these traditions and those who find so much joy in the celebration of folk culture.

We are DETERMINED to survive this challenging time and will be doing our best to get our programs back on track as soon as possible! We know we have a loyal community of supporters, and community is what makes Folklore Village so special. We truly believe each and every person who walks through the door becomes an active part of this community and feels welcome to share their own story. Now we each need to take action and step up to the task of making sure we can continue to build relationships and celebrate together.

If you prefer to write a check, please send it to:

Folklore Village

3210 County Road BB

Dodgeville, WI 53533

Hoping you all stay healthy and safe…

Maria, Catherine, Adam, Martha, Scott, Eric, Tamara, and Hank

You can read the Folklore Village Board of Directors Special Notice regarding upcoming Folklore Village HERE

You can read the Folklore Village Board of Directors General Statement Concerning the COVID-19 Pandemic  HERE