Woody Guthrie Folk Festival

Four free days of folk and roots music in Woody Guthrie's hometown every July

Held over four days around Guthrie's birthday in mid-July, WoodyFest is a free, volunteer-run festival that takes over much of downtown Okemah. Main concerts happen at the Crystal Theatre and the Pastures of Plenty outdoor stage; impromptu jams break out on every porch and bar patio in town from morning to night.

The lineup leans toward folk, alt-country, and roots — singer-songwriters who take Guthrie's tradition seriously, with the occasional surprise from a bigger name. The crowd is a mix of Oklahoma locals, ageing folkies, and a younger generation of Americana fans. Book accommodation months in advance; Okemah has limited rooms and they fill up fast.

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The festival started in 1998, the year of Guthrie's 86th birthday, with a small group of fans who wanted Okemah to acknowledge its most famous son. Two and a half decades later it is one of the largest free folk festivals in the country, with Arlo Guthrie, Jimmy LaFave, Joel Rafael, and Old Crow Medicine Show among the regulars who have played its main stage.

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