Take into account, too, what I said earlier in this thread: the "Philadelphia" Folk Festival is not held IN the city of Philadelphia but nearly 40 miles away from City Hall (which is in the dead-center of "Center City" Philly). The fest is held on the "Old Pool Farm" and is close to other farms, fields, and woods. There is no access to the fest from the city via public transportation. Therefore, Azizi, the population demographics of the city of Philadelphia are a moot point here. Better to think of it in terms of the demographics of what's called the "greater Philadelphia area" which includes the surrounding counties, or perhaps think in terms of the demographics of area automobile owners!

The other fest you mention (the Black Women's Arts Festival) was held within the city limits and in areas of the city where the African-American population is comparatively high, especially West Philadelphia. That fest appears to have a much narrower focus, concentrating on the achievements of black women in the arts, which would naturally have a greater appeal for people who would feel a cultural connection. There are any number of similarly focused celebrations of different cultures held in Philly and its environs throughout the year. Trying to compare any one of them to the PFF is like comparing apples and oranges, if not apples and fire engines.

I'm not sure why many African-Americans don't seem to feel a cultural interest in or connection to folk music, especially since the Philadelphia Folksong Society (which puts on the Philly Folk Fest) defines folk music so broadly. So much of it is derived from African music preserved by the slaves in America -- in instrumentation as well as tunes and lyrics -- that I would say African music is an integral part of American folk music.