Welcome to the official site of the AmeriServ Johnstown FolkFest - one of the best free music festivals in the nation! Produced by the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, the FolkFest features more than 70 hours of free music over Labor Day weekend. Check back often for updates!

August 29-31, 2008-- Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Scrip, Inclined Plane, Buses, Parking
Select a Topic Here Scrip Inclined Plane Buses Parking Individual Sponsors (VIP Parking)
Scrip When you come onto festival grounds, you'll see one of several booths where you can purchase scrip, which you then use to purchase all food and drinks from official FolkFest vendors. In short, scrip is festival currency! Through the use of scrip, the Johnstown Area Heritage Association collects commission on food and beverage sales to help cover costs associated with FolkFest, which total about $300,000. That's how we're able to keep the festival free. FolkFest cares about preventing underage drinking and promoting responsible alcohol management. We will have carding stations conveniently located near all festival pubs -- everyone who wishes to purchase beer or coolers must present their ID to be swiped, and will receive a wristband.
Inclined Plane The Inclined Plane will be free during the entire festival. The Inclined Plane will run often as frequently as needed, rather than on its usual 15-minute schedule. The free Inclined Plane rides are made possible through the generosity of Somerset Trust and the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies. From the bottom of the Inclined Plane, festivalgoers take a short five-minute walk to festival grounds. Free Inclined Plane rides will be available on an ongoing basis beginning one hour before the scheduled opening of the festival and end one hour after the scheduled closing of the festival. Please note that the Incline will not transport cars during FolkFest, due to the increase in riders.
Parking Parking is available downtown in city-owned garages, and the city may charge $5 to park in these garages. To locate these garages from the downtown area, look for special FolkFest signage or the permanent blue wayfinding signs posted throughout downtown. The open city-owned garages are as follows: Lincoln Street garage Transit Center garage, also called the "Main Street garage" Intermodal Transportation Center on Vine & Walnut In addition, a limited amount of free street parking is available. Please note that there will be no vehicular access to the festival park from Minersville along Iron Street. Watch carefully for the many pedestrians making their way to festival grounds. Handicapped Parking The FolkFest is pleased to provide handicapped parking in the individual sponsor lot, which is located along Washington Street (note that this has been moved from its previous location at the Suppes Ford lots, at the corner of Washington & Johns). Signage will direct you. You must have a handicap license plate and/or placard; violators will be ticketed or towed.
Individual Sponsors 2008 (formerly known as VIP Parking) You can help support the FolkFest and get a prime parking spot by purchasing an individual sponsorship! The parking lot reserved for individual sponsors is located along Washington Street between Walnut and Johns Streets, just across the street from the festival. For a $75 contribution, individual sponsors will receive: A parking pass for the reserved lot Two laminated credentials that will give you entrance to the sponsor lounge, located in the train station! This lounge will feature comfortable seating, a cash bar with beer, wine and mixed drinks, and best of all -- flush toilets. See the festival map for the location of the Individual Sponsor parking lot and the the train station lounge. Additional laminated credentials will be available for $20 each. Reminders about purchasing individual sponsorships will be sent out; but you can download a PDF copy of the form and mail it to us at PO Box 1889, Johnstown PA 15907, or click here to purchase your Individual Sponsorship through our online store. Questions? Contact Gwen Hartnett at 814-539-1889, x301.
Buses New federal laws that regulate the chartering of public bus systems have caused some changes in the FolkFest transportation system this year. CamTran will provide free limited public transit service between the FolkFest and the Cambria City Ethnic Festival along existing bus routes: Coopersdale #7, Oakhurst #15, and Westmont-Brownstown #20. This free public transit service will start Friday from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m., Saturday from noon until midnight, and Sunday from noon until 11 p.m. Riders can expect a bus every 30 minutes on Saturday and every hour on Friday and Sunday. Buses will make stops at CamTran's downtown Transit Center, FolkFest, and the Cambria City Ethnic Festival (Broad and 4th Street,) to transport them to any one of those three locations. However, because the bus system may not deviate from existing routes, we are no longer able to provide a downtown loop picking up passengers who park in downtown garages. For service from downtown, please go to the Transit Center.