Florence Hosts Multifaceted Folks Festival

July 24, 25, 26, and 27: FLORENCE FOLKS FESTIVAL. Manifattura Tabacchi Firenze, Via delle Cascine, 33-35. Free entrance. 

Florence Folks Festival attempts to unite music with people, culture, literature, and the energy of the city. What better location than the Manifattura Tabacchi — once an abandoned warehouse, and now a hip and spacious venue for the arts, surrounded by the vegetation of the Cascine Park. 

On July 24, Davide Toffolo, author of comic books and front man of the Tre Allegri Ragazzi Morti band, will open the festival at 10 pm. Subsequent performers will range from DJs specializing in electronic music, to latin-style groups, to classical musicians. The full lineup is available on the website.

As has proven typical for summer programs in our city, they are multifaceted: why not throw some book presentations into the folk music mix? Representatives from various Florentine bookshops will be present to announce which summer reads they recommend. 

There will also be musical workshops for children, a Montessori-style area for babies and families, gatherings about the responsible way to drink wine, and last but not least, cuisine focusing on the violetta, the Tuscan eggplant (available for purchase). Here is the menu. (emma hempstead)