The free festival brings performers from Mississippi, across the country and from U.S. territories to six stages in downtown Jackson, with traditions ranging from gospel and bluegrass to Afro-Colombian music, Filipino rondalla and Caribbean quelbe.

“Think of it as the world is coming to Jackson,” said Blaine Waide of the National Council for the Traditional Arts. “You’re going to come because you want to see Mavis Staples, or you want to see the Mass Choir, or you want to see Eddie Cotton and Dexter Allen, names you know. But the idea is, by the time you go home on Sunday, you’re going to be introduced to so many new artists that you never knew about.”

Here are a few places to start.

Mavis Staples at the Old Capitol

Mavis Staples brings gospel, soul and a career intertwined with the civil rights movement to the Old Capitol Saturday night. Born in Chicago, Staples spent summers with her grandparents in Mound Bayou, and her family has longstanding ties to Mississippi.

“I don’t think there’s a more powerful image in all of America 250 and the commemorations for this year than Mavis Staples with her ties to the state, her ties to the civil rights movement, performing right there in front of the Old Capitol on Saturday night,” Waide said.

Jerry Douglas, Dobro Master and National Heritage Fellow

Dobro master Jerry Douglas arrives as one of roughly a dozen National Heritage Fellows appearing through the festival’s partnership with the Smithsonian. Waide called the longtime Alison Krauss collaborator “the Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix of his instrument.”

Listen to Douglas on Soul Sessions

Rebolu and Rahzel at the Dance Pavilion

Rebolu brings high-energy Afro-Colombian music, while Rahzel, a former member of The Roots, turns the human voice into percussion through beatboxing. Both offer good reasons to find the Welcome to Jackson dance pavilion.

Rondalla Club of Los Angeles and Filipino Guitar Tradition

The Rondalla Club of Los Angeles carries a Filipino guitar tradition shaped by centuries of Spanish influence in the Philippines. One of the nation's premier rondalla ensembles, the group also makes its National Folk Festival debut in Jackson.

Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble’s Festival Debut

From northeastern Louisiana, the Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble preserves an Easter Eve tradition rooted in the West African ring shout. Participants sing call-and-response spirituals and dance around a table through the night. Jackson marks the ensemble’s first National Folk Festival appearance.