Richmond Folk Festival

I LOVE The Folk Festival. Friday night, Saturday/night and Sunday/night of all free folk music across4-5 stages. Family activities, food, great weather and genuinely friendly people. Its great.
We decided to only go the one day this year since Evie tends to be a handful and I wanted to spend the other 2 days of this 3-day holiday weekend making chex mix, going to the Pumpkin Patch again and going to Carter Mountain for apple picking. This was the most over-the-top "autumn celebration" weekend I've ever planned.

Evie danced over the foot bridge to Brown's Island telling anyone who was listening that she was "going to DANCE!". She even ended up strutting the second half of the bridge. As soon as we made it toward the first tent (playing Polka) she suddenly stopped, clammed up and wanted to be held. Ah, there's the shy public Evie... I thought for just a moment she was gone. We soon gave up and walked to the Celtic/Irish tent where Evie snuggled against me on my lap. We found Uncle Greg 3 songs in and took a walk around the canal. She liked racing down the hills toward the water for Greg to "catch" her. Outgoing Evie was back on!


Evie waits in line with dad for a free balloon.


Evie climbs a rock to hang out with Uncle Greg around the family/craft area.


Dad shares his ice cream with Evie... it was so hot today (near 90˚!)


Evie takes a break to eat some goldfish on a blanket in front of me while we sit in a tent listening to Andes Mountain folk music. She clapped wildly when everyone else did. You can tell she is getting her second wind at this point...


En route back through the festival we stop to take a little tour of where the Confederate Army was defeated over the James River. See that free balloon we had to have? That damned balloon kept bonking people in the face and Evie wouldn't let us control it. I later took it out of her hands and let it go. She wailed. I got stares from a few people who witnessed it... people who looked at me like I was a bad mommy. Evie crying for 5 minutes and then finally listening was well worth the harsh glares. Besides, the last 50 glances I had gotten from people after getting wapped in the face was far worse...
I'm ready to go home... I'm sick of people. ;-)