Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation Inc

TO PROMOTE PUBLIC APPRECIATION AND SUPPORT FOR SONGWRITERS, THE SONGWRITING CRAFT, AND FOLK MUSIC BY CREATING A COMMUNITY WHERE SONGCRAFT IS SUPPORTED AND FOLK MUSIC IS ENJOYED BY PEOPLE OF ALL AGES.

ANNUALLY, THE KFF FOUNDATION PRODUCES: THE 18-DAY KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL (KFF), THE GRASSY HILL NEW FOLK COMPETITION, AND A FALL EVENT CALLED WELCOME HOME FESTIVAL (WHF). THE FOUNDATION ALSO CO-PRODUCES MUSIC CAMP FOR TEENS WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL TEXAS AND A CONCERT SERIES, "MUSIC AT THE MANSION" WITH SCHREINER UNIVERSITY. THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL (KFF) IS THE FOUNDATION'S FLAGSHIP EVENT. ESTABLISHED IN 1972, KFF IS AMONG THE LONGEST RUNNING MUSIC FESTIVALS IN THE UNITED STATES. IN 2022, WE CELEBRATED THE 50TH KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL, AND HAD 5 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE WHO HAD COME TO ALL 50 FESTIVALS. DURING THE 18-DAY FESTIVAL THE FOUNDATION HOSTS THE GRASSY HILL NEW FOLK COMPETITION IN WHICH 800 SONGWRITERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY SUBMIT TWO SONGS THEY HAVE WRITTEN. OF THOSE, 24 ARE SELECTED TO COMPETE AT THE FESTIVAL IN THE GRASSY HILL NEW FOLK CONTEST. SIX FINALISTS ARE SELECTED AS WINNERS. THE WINNERS RECEIVE A CASH PRIZE AND ARE HOSTED ON A WEEK-LONG TOUR IN TEXAS. THE FESTIVALS FEATURE BETWEEN 100 AND 200 PERFORMING SONGWRITERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD, A SONGWRITING SCHOOL AND INSTRUMENT WORKSHOPS. THE SECOND WELCOME HOME FESTIVAL WAS HELD OCTOBER 7 - 16, 2022. IT WAS WELL RECEIVED BY THOSE WHO ATTENDED; HOWEVER, ATTENDANCE WAS LOW. OVER THE TWO FESTIVAL WEEKENDS, THERE WERE MANY OTHER COMMUNITY GATHERINGS HROUGHOUT THE AREA. MUSIC CAMP FOR TEENS IS A 5-DAY CAMP FOR YOUTH AGED 13 - 18. FACULTY IS COMPRISED OF SONGWRITERS, MUSICIANS AND POETS THAT FOCUS ON HELPING STUDENTS "FIND THEIR OWN VOICE AND SOUND" WHILE INTEGRATING LESSONS THAT HELP TEENS BUILD SELF-ESTEEM, ENGAGE IN POSITIVE LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES, AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR UP TO 70 TEENS, MANY OF WHOM ARE FROM LOW INCOME AND SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS. CO-SPONSORED WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL TEXAS (BGCCT), THE FOUNDATION COVERS THE FACULTY AND FACILITY EXPENSES. THE BGCCT COVERS THE FOOD, TRANSPORTATION, AND CAMP COUSELOR EXPENSES. DUE TO COVID, CAMPS WERE NOT HOSTED IN 2020 OR 2021. ATTENDANCE WAS DOWN IN 2022 HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT MANY TEENS RETURN AS MANY YEARS AS THEY CAN, AND WE LOST TWO YEARS OF BUILDING ATTENDEES. MUSIC AT THE MANSION IS A YEARLONG CONCERT SERIES COMPRISED OF SIX SHOWS EACH YEAR, EACH SHOW FEATURING TWO PERFORMING SONGWRITERS. THIS SERIES IS HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHREINER UNIVERSITY AND THE SHOWS ARE HOSTED ON THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS. 2022 WAS THE 10TH YEAR FOR THIS SERIES.

SINCE 2011, EXCEPT FOR THE YEARS 2020 AND 2021 DUE TO COVID, THE KERRVILLE FOLK FESTIVAL FOUNDATION ALONG WITH THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF CENTRAL TEXAS HOSTED A FIVE-DAY MUSIC CAMP FOR TEENS IN JULY. FACULTY IS COMPRISED OF SONGWRITERS, MUSICIANS AND POETS THAT FOCUS ON HELPING STUDENTS "FIND THEIR OWN VOICE AND SOUND" WHILE INTEGRATING LESSONS THAT HELP TEENS BUILD SELF- ESTEEM, ENGAGE IN POSITIVE LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES,AND DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS FOR 70 TEENS, MANY OF WHOM ARE FROM LOW INCOME AND SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLDS. THE CAMP RESUMED IN 2022 HOWEVER, ONLY 50 TEENS ATTENDED.