I’ve been a bit quiet here this weekend because it is the annual Lowell Folk Festival held in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is a free three-day festival held each July. The downtown area is closed to vehicular traffic to allow acts to perform on five different stages located around the area. It features performers from various regions of the US and around the world. The festival kicks off with a parade of nations. People from various countries carry in their nation’s flag. Here are a few images. If you shout out the name of the country as it passes, then the group from that country gets very animated making for a better image and a more lively experience. The older gentleman carrying the flag of Portugal walked right up to me and asked me to take a photo of him with his flag.
Milford Street 
These are great, Chris! They were all smiling for you!
Theyare all smiling. They were pretty smiley to begin with but I really got the Puerto Rican contingent going just by yelling “Puerto Rico”. Boom! The flags went up in the air.
That must have been quite a stirring event to see in person!
We’ve been attending this festival for 30 years and always find the parade impressive. Cheers
What an adventure! 30 years of fun for you…
It’s difficult to believe that it’s been that long. It’s a great festival. Thank you for your comment. Cheers!
That’s what I like! Parades where they interact with you and your camera 🙂
Totally. It’s so much better when people want to have their picture taken. Cheers!
joyful and such diversity…and music is always powerful for us all ☺️💫 have a happy day Chris 🙂
Thank you, Hedy. I love the diversity of life.
Love the vibrancy of the parade, the happy faces looking at the camera and the diversity this festival showcases! Great pics!
Thank you so much. It’s a great festival. I really enjoy seeing people from all over the world enjoying it.
Oh, Gee, I am missing it again! Were there any performances you especially loved? Post Modern Jukebox was there once. How I would *love* to see them!
It was a good festival. We went Friday and Saturday. It was the usual mix of music and while excellent no group or artist stood out for me. The line for The Filipino food was as long as ever. Cheers
Great pics, Chris! Looks like everybody had lots of fun on this festival! 😄
Thanks Sarah. It was a really fun time. Cheers