Richard and Mimi's first professional performance as a duo had been at the first Big Sur Festival in 1964 (mentioned in Richard's liner notes to Mark Spoelstra's album, Five and Twenty Questions). The festivals were founded by Nancy Carlen, a friend of Richard, Mimi and Joan, and she remembers those three fondly in her notes to the album One Hand Clapping. The annual event started as folk music seminars, and as they evolved into concerts, they became known as well-managed, small affairs that emphasized quality and atmosphere over publicity and commercial success. Even when big names like CSN&Y or the Beach Boys appeared, the audiences were limited to a few thousand to preserve an intimate atmosphere and human scale. Although Big Sur is now sometimes remembered as the anti-Woodstock, it was originally the anti-Newport.

Background info on the Esalen Institute:
The Esalen Institute was founded in 1962 by two psychology graduates of Stanford University. Named after a Native American tribe, the institute combined Asian religious concepts with Western humanistic psychology and sought to fuse comparative religion with art and ecology. Participants included Alan Watts and Aldous Huxley.

The First Big Sur Folk Festival Sunday, June 21, 1964 Featuring: Joan Baez Roger Abraham Nancy Carlen Malvina Reynolds Mark Spoelstra Janet Smith Mimi & Richard Fariņa Poster by Bob Muson
Second Big Sur Folk Festival September 13-14, 1965 Featuring: Joan Baez The Incredible String Band John Sebastian Delanie and Bonnie Dorothy Morrison and the Comb Sisters Poster by Bob Muson
Third Big Sur Folk Festival Sunday, July 10, 1966 Featuring: Joan Baez Judy Collins Mark Spoelstra Malvina Reynolds Nancy Carlen Al Kooper Mimi Fariņa Panel Discussion with Ralph Gleason: "What's Happening Baby"
Fourth Big Sur Folk Festival June 28-29, 1967 Featuring: Joan Baez Judy Collins Mark Spoelstra Jade the Mad Muse (?) Chambers Brothers Mimi Fariņa Al Kooper
Fifth Big Sur Folk Festival 1968 Featuring: Joan Baez Judy Collins Mimi Fariņa Arlo Guthrie Charles River Valley Boys
Sixth Big Sur Folk Festival 1969 Featuring: Joan Baez Joni Mitchell Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young John Sebastian Johanna Demetrakas Dorothy Morrison & the Edwin Hawkins Singers Mimi Fariņa Julie Payne Ruthann Friedman Carol Ann Cisneros The Comb Sisters Chris Ethridge Flying Burrito Brothers Struggle Mountain Resistance Band Poster by Bob Muson
Seventh Big Sur Folk Festival Saturday, October 3, 1970 [Held at Monterey County Fairgrounds] 1:00pm Concert: Beach Boys (Sloop John B, Riot in Cell Block 9, Good Vibrations) John Phillips Joan Baez Merry Clayton and Love Ltd. (soul music; hour, with 25-minute instrumental set) Kris Kristofferson (with Chris Gantry and Vince Matthews) (hour) John Hartford (half hour) 8:00pm Concert: Beach Boys John Phillips Linda Ronstadt, with Swamp Water Mimi Fariņa & Tom Jans Mark Spoelstra Country Joe McDonald ("drew the strongest support of the evening show") Tom Ghent Joan Baez Finale: All sing "You Ain't Going Nowhere" Joe Cocker and Leon Russell were scheduled but not announced in order to keep audience small. Both canceled.
Eighth (and final) Big Sur Folk Festival Saturday, September 25, 1971 Featuring: Joan Baez Kris Kristofferson Mimi Fariņa and Tom Jans Mickey Newbury Big Sur Choir Lily Tomlin & Larry Manson	(no posters found yet)
Epilogue: Big Sur Fair Sunday, October 1, 1972 Monterey Fair Grounds This fair was not produced by Nancy Carlen or Mimi. I don't know if it really had anything to to with the previous festivals; I am just including it for the sake of completeness. Featuring: L&B Funk Band Zitron Estrada Brothers Big Sur Drums Tiernen & Carver Indian Dancers Michael McIver David Milligan B.S. Kids Choir Mike Kerber

Celebration at Big Sur Film, 1971 from the 1969 festival	Celebration Album, 1970 from the 1970 festival (CD released only in Europe)	One Hand Clapping Album, 1971 from the 1971 festival (not available on CD)

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