Big Sur Folk Festival

Big Sur Folk Festival
Poster by Bob Muson for the initial festival in 1964
Genre	folk
Dates	June 21, 1964 September 13–14, 1965 July 10, 1966 June 28–29, 1967 September 8–9, 1968 September 14–15, 1969 October 3, 1970 September 25, 1971
Location(s)	Big Sur and Monterey, California
Years active	1965-1971
Founded by	Nancy Carlen

The Big Sur Folk Festival, held from 1964 to 1971, was an informal gathering of prominent and emerging folk artists from across the United States. Nancy Carlen was working at the Esalen Institute when Joan Baez was asked to lead workshops on music. Carlen was a good friend of Baez, and they decided to invite other artists, which turned into the first festival.

Baez performed at all seven events. Well-known acts included Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, The Beach Boys, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Country Joe McDonald, John Sebastian, Kris Kristofferson, Arlo Guthrie, Dorothy Morrison & the Edwin Hawkins Singers, and Julie Payne. All of the artists were paid union scale, about $50. The audience paid $3.50 to $5.50, depending on the year. All proceeds benefitted Baez' Institute for the Study of Nonviolence.

Carlen intended it to be a friendly, low-key event that allowed artists to relax after their long summer concert series. It was held except for one year in front of the pool at the Esalen Institute on the Big Sur coast. The second-to-last year was held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. Carlen purposefully kept advertising to a minimum to help keep crowds small. Richard and Mimi Fariña performed for the first time at the festival, which led to a recording contract.

At the September 1969 festival, many artists had performed only four weeks earlier at . The event was later considered by some as the antithesis of the commercial Woodstock, but it was originally seen as an antidote to the Newport Folk Festival.

The festival was founded in 1964 by Nancy Carlen. She was attending Boston University when she met Joan Baez. Baez at the time lived in Carmel Valley. Impressed with Baez' music and social convictions, Nancy drove cross-country and arrived in Big Sur in 1961. She got a job at Esalen and began living there.