Daytona Beach a Finalist to Host National Folk Festival

The Daytona Berach Area Visitors & Convention Bureau is looking to celebrate some history and potentially make some as well.

The organization offered an update on upcoming events to the Daytona Beach City Commission recently, highlighting some “exciting news,” according to Brian Bentley, manager of corporate partnerships and events.’

“Daytona Beach has been selected by the National Council for Traditional Arts as a finalist to host the National Folk Festival for 2028,” Bentley said. “We are thrilled to reach this stage and we want to thank the city for its support as we move through the selection process.”

Bentley said the next step for the VCB is to attend two upcoming festivals firsthand, in Richmond, Virginia and Jackson, Mississippi.

“We will be there to see what a lasting folk festival can become after the National Folk Festival moves on,” he said.

In addition, representatives of the national organization will be visiting Daytona Beach in early 2027.

“They expect two full days of meetings here with city leadership, partners and other stakeholders,” Bentley said. “We will coordinate with city staff well ahead of time. We will need the red carpet sometime in January.”

In addition to the folk festival, Bentley said the Sunbeam 1000 horsepower car, the first to go over 200 miles per hour, a feat accomplished in March of 1927 in Daytona Beach, will be returning to the area next year..

“The big news is that the beach driving permit has been issued,” Bentley said. “So that clears the way for the Sunbeam centennial run and that will be on March 29 of 2027, with a speed limit this time around.”

The car is currently on tour and in August was featured at the Pebble Beach Car Show in California. It was also used for a filming session in the garage of comedian and car collector Jay Leno for an episode on his You Tube channel, Bentley said.

“Seeing this historic land-speed record car back on the beach will be a remarkable moment for Daytona Beach on an international state,” he said.