It began as an idea, a desire to bring the color and excitement of international folk dance to a small town in Utah.

        Now, after more than 20 years, the Springville World Folkfest has become one of the largest festivals of folk dance and music in the United States. Hundreds of dancers and musicians from more than 45 countries have performed, thousands of spectators have watched and cheered them on, and an outdoor amphitheater has grown literally out of bare soil to become a state-of-the-art facility specifically designed to accommodate folk dancing.

        The Springville World Folkfest was born during a meeting in January of 1986 of individuals who hoped to create a festival of folk dance and music in Springville. At that meeting, the dream was placed in motion, but it would take countless hours of hard work if the dream were to become fact. Hundreds of dancers would need to be housed, fed and transported – sometimes without the ability to communicate in English.

        Faith in the proposed project drew the financial support of Springville’s City Council in a time when few city leaders would have seen beyond fiscal concerns. Thousands of hours were expended by volunteers. Local residents opened their homes and their hearts to the dancers as host families. A wooden stage was erected for the Folkfest over home plate in a baseball field northwest of Springville High School – and the first Springville World Folkfest was presented in August of 1986.

        During subsequent years, the Folkfest was held on stages built on the Springville High School football and soccer fields before a new venue became available. The Spring Acres Arts Park, an area northeast of Springville High School naturally sheltered by a hill and mature trees on one side and named for springs that welled up out of the ground, was developed into an outdoor amphitheater by Springville City. A concrete stage designed specifically for the needs of the Folkfest was erected at the Arts Park and the Folkfest began using the park as its permanent home in 1991.

        Improvements have been made to the Arts Park each year since then. The bare concrete stage became flanked by towering poles bearing the weight of state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment. A canopy over the stage was added to shield performers from the elements. Sound cables were buried and professional sound equipment permanently installed. City employees groomed the grounds and bleacher seating was added. Most recently, a permanent sound booth was constructed as well as a new building housing restrooms, a ticket booth and first aid areas.

        Hundreds of local families have had the experience of housing dancers and musicians from around the globe in their homes. Some dancers have returned years later to visit their host families, and some families have traveled to other countries and staying in the homes of their former visitors.

        One of the primary goals of the Folkfest is to foster love and understanding among peoples of all lands and cultures. The Folkfest is probably best epitomized in an international dance called the “Farandahl” which is traditionally danced on the last night of a festival. Participants and patrons of all nations join hands in a giant, surging chain and perform simple dance steps to lively music, forming one laughing, happy tapestry of mankind.