Traveling to Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, B.C., Spokane, Walla Walla, or elsewhere in the Northwest? Check these sites for folk events in communities along the way.
Northwest Folk Event Calendar
A calendar of folk music and dance events in the Northwest for the upcoming month is available Here
A more extensive, and possibly more up-to-date, list of future events can be found in spreadsheet form at This link.
Additions to the list can be submitted to Katrina Knight at newsletter@3rfs.net.
Pacific Northwest Folklore Society. Founded in 1953, to preserve, promote, and present the folklore and traditional folk music of the Pacific Northwest.
Sacajawea Bluegrass Festival and Dutch Oven Rendezvous. An annual festival at Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA.
Friends of Acoustic Music. Lists folk music concerts, coffee houses, and contra dances in Walla Walla, WA, and the surrounding community.
The Pendleton Center for the Arts. Sponsors folk, jazz, and blues concerts in Pendleton, OR.
Wallowa Valley Music Alliance. “dedicated to encouraging the growth of the music community in Oregon’s Wallowa County, by connecting music educators with students, and encouraging a widening participation in music of all genres, with particular emphasis on youth education.”
Northeast Oregon Folklore Society. Sponsors contra dances, Irish set dances, and occasional folk concerts in La Grande, OR.
Palouse Folklore Society. Sponsors contra and circle dances, jam sessions, and occasional folk concerts in the Moscow, ID / Pullman, WA area.
Spokane Folklore Society. Sponsors contra dances, festivals, music camps, and several varieties of jam sessions in the Spokane, WA /Coeur d’Alene, ID area.
Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association. Sponsors a variety of folk music events in the Spokane area.
Bozeman Folklore Society. Sponsors contra dances and a monthly concert series in Bozeman, MT.
Yakima Folklife Association. Sponsors monthly concerts and an annual folklife festival in Yakima, WA.
Mid Columbia Traditional Arts and Music Association sponsors bluegrass concerts, an annual bluegrass festival, dutch oven cooking events, and other traditional arts in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick), WA.
Mid-Columbia Bluegrass Association. Located in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick), WA.
Mid-Columbia Folklore Society. Lists folk music concerts and dances in The Dalles and Hood River, OR.
Seattle Folklore Society. Lists the many concerts sponsored by this active organization. Links to other resources in the Puget Sound area and around the country.
Northwest Folklife. Best known for their free annual NW Folklife Festival, held every Memorial Day weekend at Seattle Center. This organization also sponsors other performances during the year.
Portland FolkMusic Society. Lists concerts, coffee houses, song circles, and open mikes sponsored by this organization in Portland, OR.
Corvallis Folklore Society. Lists concerts, coffee houses, song circles, and contra dances in Corvallis, OR.
Rogue Folk Club. Lists the many folk events this group sponsors in Vancouver, B.C. (The concerts are non-smoking AND licensed. Bring your own drinking vessel.) Provides links to some excellent folk music resources.
Victory Music. Lists the open mikes sponsored by this organization in the Puget Sound area. Victory (Music) Review is a monthly hard-copy publication that lists Puget Sound folk music events and carries news from the world of folk music and reviews of CDs and tapes.
Washington Blues Society “...to promote, preserve, and advance the culture and tradition of Blues music as an art form.” Offers articles and reviews from their Bluesletter. Also links to individual artists and bands, other Northwest blues sites, and a calendar of performances and festivals.
Washington Bluegrass Association. Promoting the preservation, enjoyment, and support of bluegrass and related music. Check out their jam sessions and events calendar.
Oregon Bluegrass Association. “Having fun picking together is just about as good as it gets!” The OBA sponsors four jams, including monthly Portland, Salem and Roseburg area jams, and a weekly “Off-Key, Easy Jam” in Portland. Newcomers are always welcome! The OBA also participates in numerous festivals throughout the year.
Northwest Zydeco Music and Dance Association. Provides a calendar of NW Zydeco and Cajun events (mostly Seattle-Portland), dance classes, links to NW bands and venues, historical info, and links to a number of good sound clips.