Bringing the world to Western North Carolina: Rolf Kaufman was instrumental to Folkmoot’s success
Rolf Kaufman was a staple in Haywood County, a man who proved his commitment to his community through his tireless efforts with Folkmoot.
File photo
In 1983, when Rolf Kaufman attended a small meeting at the Waynesville home of his neighbor Dr. Clinton Border, he couldn’t have known that he was stepping into his life’s work. He’d simply said yes to an invitation, but not long after, Folkmoot USA would become inseparable from his name.
Kaufman, who passed away on Feb. 15 at age 95, was more than a founding board member. Over four decades, he became the festival’s ambassador, diplomat, fundraiser, strategist and quiet guardian. To many, he was simply “Mr. Folkmoot.”
Beyond his integral role in helping Border launch Folkmoot — North Carolina’s International Festival — in the North Carolina mountains, Kaufman built an enduring presence for Folkmoot and himself in the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF), where he built alliances and friendships that spanned decades.
It’s hard to overestimate Folkmoot’s impact on regional tourism and the arts during its early years. An old English term meaning “meeting of the people,” Folkmoot historically referred to a gathering of citizens to discuss community affairs. Here in the mountains, in its festival form, it promoted inclusivity, cultural exchange and peace through arts and community engagement.
During two magical weeks each summer troupes or folk dancers and musicians from across the globe performed at dozens of regional venues and in street festivals and parades. At its height, the festival attracted as many as 150,000 visitors to the mountains, and its impacts remained extensive until the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020.
Kaufman was at the center of it all.
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A Life Devoted to Connection
Jackie Bolden, Folkmoot’s first full-time Executive Director, worked alongside Kaufman for many years.
“Folkmoot was a gift of a lifetime for me,” Bolden said. “I was there for 18 years, and Rolf was there every single one. I learned a tremendous amount from this brilliant man. He was my sounding board — on cultures, on groups, on decisions. He gave of himself financially, personally, in every way a person could give. It’s just who he was.”
“I can’t think of Folkmoot without thinking of Rolf,” she added. “Folkmoot is not a way to make a living — it’s a way of life.”
After retiring from Wellco in 1996, Folkmoot became Rolf’s full-time calling. For two decades, he traveled the world, attending the CIOFF World Congress, building the international relationships that sustained the festival — and often paying his own way without recognition.
Jayme Sheppherd, who became Executive Director in 2004, remembers his unwavering dedication.
“He gave me a crash course in cultural exchange,” she said. “He never stopped believing in the power of it. He was completely dedicated to Folkmoot and to CIOFF. That international network meant everything to him.”
When mounting visa restrictions threatened the participation of international groups — especially after the 9/11 tragedy — he refused to give up.
“When we started having trouble with visas, he would do anything he could to make it happen,” said Sheppard. ”The minute one festival ended, he was already working on the next year. It was his life.”
She credits him with sustaining the organization after Dr. Border’s death.
“If it weren’t for Rolf, I don’t think Folkmoot would have continued as long as it did. No one was as dedicated as he was.”
Angeline Schwab, Executive Director for the six years before COVID closures, experienced Rolf’s dedication firsthand.
“Never have I known someone so driven — gently, thoughtfully and with such specificity — in his goals for the community as Rolf Kaufman,” Schwab said. “He offered me and many others related to Folkmoot the joy of international travel. Because of Rolf’s investments, I visited Indonesia, Russia, Canada and Italy to build relationships with groups and CIOFF partners.”
“So many of us worked to create this opportunity for our region,” she added. “There were a hundred loyal staff, dozens of families, tens of thousands of ticket buyers, devoted sponsors, a few dozen board members — and one Rolf Kaufman. I’ve never worked so hard for a person and felt so grateful in doing it.”
A Titan for Peace
Those who knew Kaufman speak first of his kindness.
The organization was notable for its incorporation of high school students from the community as “guides” for the international groups. Many of those young people’s lives were formatively shaped by the experience.
Chase Smith, a former guide and eventual board member, recalled Kaufman as ”an incredibly kind man who genuinely loved meeting new people and connecting the world with one another. Over the years he worked so very hard to bring together thousands of people to see beyond the things that divide and to unite us all together as one humanity.”
“He was an absolute titan for peace, and I miss him. Rolf was a real gem.”
Vivian Poppas — bus driver for 10 years, guide for 15, volunteer for 36, staff member for six, and now a board member — reflected:
“I’ve always admired and respected Rolf. I’ve thought of him as a peacemaker at home and throughout the world. He was a true gentleman and we are going to miss him.”
She added simply, “Rolf deserved a lot more recognition than he ever got.”
Investing in Young People
Kaufman’s investment in young people was extraordinary.
He believed youth in Western North Carolina needed opportunities to see beyond their immediate surroundings. Folkmoot created those openings — through hosting performers, volunteering and building friendships that stretched across continents.
Former guide Gracie Feichter said, “At a very young age, Folkmoot instilled in me the importance of being a global citizen. I was traveling the world before I even really knew what that meant — watching wide-eyed as dancers paraded down Main Street.”
Now preparing to graduate from a master’s program at the University of Michigan, she connects her work in international health and humanitarianism to those early experiences.
“Rolf Kaufman’s vision gave Western North Carolina a living bridge to the world. Because of that gift, I remain committed to shaping a future rooted in peace, kindness, and human connection.”
Harper Schwab, another former guide, reflected similarly.
“In Western North Carolina, Folkmoot was the only opportunity to broaden my perspective and experience global cultures in middle and high school. Rolf helped me realize that the world was much larger and more diverse than the community that surrounded me.”
That perspective led him to lead Model United Nations at the University of Chicago and into work with the World Bank.
“Rolf’s work starts in Western North Carolina, but its impact is far beyond the place we call home. His belief that cultural understanding can positively impact the world created a launching pad for all of us who knew him.”
Heather Davidson started volunteering at 10 years old and became a Guide at 17. She worked for the festival until COVID hit. “Working at Folkmoot USA was one of the greatest experiences of my life and so much of that is thanks to Rolf Kaufman. He always had a way of making people feel like they belonged, like they were a part of something bigger than themselves. Folkmoot wasn’t just an event. It was a community, a family, and a celebration of humanity. Some of my very best memories were made there. Friendships I will carry with me forever. The joy, the chaos, the beauty of cultures sharing their traditions. None of it would have been the same without Rolf‘s heart and dedication behind it.”
Guide Avery Schwab added:
“Rolf stood as a vanguard for Folkmoot’s international Festival. The experience with the organization has made a positive impact on thousands of young people in Haywood County. It’s expanded our worldview and created connections with people we never expected to know. From what I understand, that’s exactly what Rolf wanted to achieve. I hope he knew he was successful in his mission.”
The Work Behind the Curtain
Marion Ferguson, the organization’s last Bus Driver and Transportation Manager, has been part of Folkmoot since its inception, and said, “Rolf has been there every minute. The man-hours he put into this organization are unbelievable.”
His financial contributions were equally extraordinary.
“What we know about — there are no words. You just can’t put a price tag on that — and he just wanted people to get along with one another.”
Doug Garrett, long-time operational staff and Volunteer Coordinator worked with Kaufman for over 30 years. Garrett, teams of volunteers and sometimes even Kaufman moved hundreds of beds every year.
He recalled traveling with him to a CIOFF meeting in Arequipa, Peru. When a meeting was scheduled for an upper floor with no elevator, Kaufman was hoisted up the stairs in a chair by a group of stout men.
“He was a well-respected, community-minded person,” said Garrett. “He was so loved and respected by people from so many countries.”
A Festival Paused, A Legacy Continuing
Like many cultural institutions, Folkmoot paused its traditional international festival at the onset of COVID-19. The organization had been transforming its facility at the old Hazelwood School, and growing in new directions. And although Kaufman was still very involved, he was having a hard time traveling and was beginning to slow down.
Plans to honor his contributions were underway when COVID struck. At that time, the staff was deep in preparation for the 2020 festival. Performer visas were in process, staff had traveled extensively and logistics planning was underway. It all came to an unceremonious halt.
”We didn’t know it at that time,” said Angeline Schwab, “but what many of us loved as the Folkmoot experience was over.”
Since then, changing cultural landscapes and financial challenges have shifted the Folkmoot organization’s focus away from yearly festivals and more toward live performances and development of the Folkmoot Center. But Kaufman’s influence is still all around.
He believed people in Western North Carolina needed a way to meet the world, and he helped give it to them.
“Rolf’s vision built thousands of lifelong friendships, and he facilitated culture in this community,” said Schwab. ”What a legacy.”
(Bill Graham is a longtime WNC journalist and writer who now works for Buris Chalmers Communications, which develops communications and fundraising for nonprofit and governmental organizations.)
