The final performance of FolkFest musical troupes filled the historic Murfreesboro square with music on Saturday (6/16/2012).  This was a milestone year for the event, as three decades of bringing musical and dance diversity to the area were celebrated the entire past week. 

Local educator Steve Cates started what are now called the Cripple Creek Cloggers in 1982 as a 4-H project that taught the Appalachian style of music and dance. They are now associated with the International Folkloric Society and have  become mid-state ambassadors to audiences around the world. 

Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Puerto Rico have been represented during this year's event. Cates shared comments from the foreign dance groups about our community . . .  

In the background, you could clearly hear the troupe from Puerto Rico.

The FolkFest has become a cultural exchange for area residents. Cates noted that music has the ability to bring people together, when they discover they may be more similar than different.

Even though there was a language barrier with many visitors, they certainly relaxed and enjoyed the hospitality found here in the Heart of Tennessee.