You choose! Americana... Celtic... World Music... Old-Timey and Bluegrass... Blues... Contemporary Folk. We present concerts and dance events with nationally known performers. We also host hands-on jam sessions, workshops, and free Coffeehouse concerts featuring local performers.
The Susquehanna Folk Music Society is a nonprofit education and arts organization dedicated to the advancement, promotion and preservation of traditional, contemporary and international folk music and folk culture.
The Susquehanna Folk Summer Fest & Picnic is coming up on July 19 -- a fun-filled day that celebrates our own folk roots and kicks off our 25th Anniversary season. Jamming, local/regional coffeehouse performers, a potluck picnic and more. No admission charge, but donations are encouraged and go toward future programming.
We have a full summer planned, with several partnerships in the works.
We'll be providing performers at the city of Harrisburg's
American MusicFest (July 4th weekend) and at
Kipona (Labor Day weekend). We're partnering with Dauphin County Parks & Rec to bring
Red Molly to Fort Hunter in July... and we'll be hosting a coffeehouse concert as part of the
Levitt Live! series at Reservoir Park in August.
Check out our calendar!
Our 2009-2010 Season will be announced on our website soon. Performers scheduled for this fall include the Irish trio Trian (Liz Taylor, Billy McComiskey & Daithi Sproule)... storyteller Laura Simms... dance instructor Lee Otterholt... French-Canadian fiddle Master Claude Méthé and family band Dentdelion... Saffire, the Uppity Blues Women... multi-talented duo Sara Milonovich & Greg Taylor... and bluegrass legend Tim O'Brien. For full details, watch our website.
Looking Back...
Our 2008-2009 Season featured an outstanding lineup of folk performers. During the summer of 2008, we partnered with several organizations to bring you concerts by Red Molly (Americana), Fire in the Glen (eclectic Celtic),
and Bearfoot (Bluegrass). We spoke with lots of new friends at various festivals around the area.
We presented lots of Central Pennsylvania's best acoustic musicians (plus some international folk dancing) at Harrisburg's
American MusicFest and
Kipona festivals, and at
Yorkfest too.
And on September 10 we hosted a group of touring musicians for a potluck and jam: Music from Virginia's Crooked Road. It was a busier-than-usual summer season for us! Thanks to everyone who came out.
Our 2008-2009 concert season officially opened with three Celtic-flavored events:
Réveillons! from Québec (with a dance workshop too),
"Halfway to St. Patrick's Day" with Beoga (including an Irish session complete with local step dancers),
and songs from Scotland with
Malinky (two programs).
Our 2008-2009 World Music & Dance series opened with an beginners' International Dance workshop by
Lee Otterholt. In October we celebrated
Carpathian Music & Dance with dance classes and live music by Walt Mahovlich and the Harmonia Wedding Band.
As autumn took hold of Central Pennsylvania, we welcomed the legendary
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, featuring a free jam session
with the band before the show, the Keystone Kloggers at intermission, AND amazing
ticket savings for members!
November also held in store a Bulgarian Dance Party with one of Bulgaria's premier wedding bands,
Kabel Bitov Ensemble, and two Martin Library shows with the award-winning storyteller Ed Stivender.
Continuing in the songwriting vein, we wrapped up 2008 with a concert by
Iris DeMent
and a holiday show by Prairie Home Companion favorites
Robin & Linda Williams.
Also in January, we hosted a 4-day
Bulgarian Extravaganza, with party music by Lyuti Chushki ("Hot Peppers"), and dancing taught by Iliana Bozhanova. And in February, we repeated last year's popular
Israeli dance workshops for all ages.
Our World Music & Dance series presented a performance in April by
Kumovi Croatian Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Zeljko Jergan.
in April, the "northern wind" returned to our stage: French-Canadian quartet
Le Vent du Nord.
Families enjoyed the Mock Turtle Marionette Theater, two shows chock-full of folk tales, puppets and audience participation.
And as special treat for fans of local music, we added a
Summer Coffee House in mid-May!
The Susquehanna Folk Music Society (SFMS) is supported by our members and many generous organizations, including the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Several of our events have been made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.
I'm very bummed out I have to work Sunday night (I co-host a music picnic series here in the summer) and will be missing Red Molly... truly a band that gets better each and every time I hear them. Kudos on their return, even if I'm out of synch with it. -Jim
It was an honor to be part of the Songwriting Competition, and I'm looking forward to coming down for some more great shows. (My two faves from '07 were Guy Clark and Red Molly.)
