The second annual Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival started its three-day run which featured its first performance by Welsh artist David Llewellyn. The performance gathered an intimate audience at the Heartland Gallery in downtown Urbana.

Audience members said they attended the event for the rich culture that can be found in folk music.

“I’m Irish and I like to hear folk. It reminds me of home and I’ve been here many times and I love the atmosphere,” Urbana resident Philip Johnston said.

The idea behind the event was to bring the community together and to highlight the local musicians and organizations in the community to bring them exposure, said Brenda Koenig, chair of CU Folk and Roots Steering Committee. Singer-songwriter Kevin Elliott is one of the many local talents that will be showcased this weekend. He will be playing original songs on his guitar on Saturday afternoon.

“I have a love of the music and I like to do it so people know that I’m out there and that I’m able to share my music with other people in the community,” Elliott said.

The festival is entirely not-for-profit and brings in over 7,000 volunteers to help facilitate the event. The event is organized by the seven member Steering Committee that donates over 1,000 labor hours in order to make this event possible. Don Willi is a two-year board member and explained his reason for getting involved.

“I’m a musician and I was acquainted with some of the other people on the board,” he said. “I’m glad I did it because it has grown into a really great event.”

Koenig said the Champaign-Urbana community has a rich tradition in folk music. It includes the folk art revival at the Krannert Center led by prominent folklorist Archie Green. Urbana was also home to the former live music venue Nature’s Table, which showcased many bluegrass music performers. Today, the Iron Post, one of the main sponsor of the event, hosts performances for local roots and jazz musicians alike.

The festival includes a variety of local and national musical acts in an array of genres that include: folk, blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, Klezmer and more.

The majority of performances will occur on Saturday. One of the main headlining acts is the swing/jazz trio Hot Club of Cowtown, hailing from Austin, Texas. The festival also offers an assortment of workshops that include lessons in swing dance, Cajun dance and learning how to play the fiddle and guitar just to name a few.

Committee member Frances Harris said the festival’s interactive opportunities make it unique.

“You can do this to make art and play music. It’s not just watching, it’s doing,” Harris said.

There are also a variety of family friendly activities that include: story telling, family performer Little Miss Ann, harmonica lessons and many more activities to get the children involved with arts and music.

The event runs from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25. The workshops are free and the performances require a wristband that costs $15. Children 12 and under are free.