In 1985, The Boîte found a place on the Port Fairy Folk Festival program, bringing Latin American band Chichitote, the virtuoso harp player from Paraguay, Alfirio Cristaldo and Andrew Rigby to perform, along with sarod player Yaqub Ali Khan, tabla player Debu Phattachrya and Costas Tsicaderis and band. As was announced in The Boîte newsletter:
‘Many claim this to be Australia’s premier folk festival. The Boîte is hoping to enrich its multicultural flavour through a number of workshops and concert spots.’
At this time The Boîte was playing an important role in opening up what were traditionally anglo-oriented Folk music events to musicians from other cultures. In the year earlier, they had organised a Forum at the National Folklore Conference focusing on the multicultural aspects of folklore. The Boîte also scheduled the Music on the Move concert to coincide with the Conference, presenting: ‘An exciting blend of Greek, Russian, Chilean, Irish. Paraguayan and Australian music – illustrating what happens when it moves from place to place.’