The Bellingham Folk Festival is a homemade weekend of music and people that takes place in the heart of beautiful Bellingham, WA.

Four days and nights of inspiring performances, dances, workshops, and jams at a variety of downtown Bellingham locations, featuring a mix of local and touring performers and instructors, annual favorites and new faces. Not sure if you should come? Take it from this completely unbiased happy camper…

Schedule of Events

January 19, 2023

4pm - Doors open at the Majestic!

4:30pm-5:10pm - Performance: Devin Champlin at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

5:15pm-5:35pm - Performance: Dream Goats at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

5:30pm-6:00pm - Performance: Louis Ledford at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

5:40pm-6:20pm - Performance: Wandering Seas at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

6:25pm-6:45pm - Performance: Traesti Darling at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

6:30pm-7:00pm - Performance: Peter Ali at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

6:50pm-7:30pm - Performance: Marie the Band at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

7:30pm-8:30pm - Performance: Devil’s Club Darlin’s at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

7:35pm-7:55pm - Performance: Calaskan at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

8:00pm-10:00pm - Dance: Square Dance w/ Devin Champlin and Kate and the Loosely Acquainted at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

8:00pm-10:00pm - Jam: Open Mic/Open Jam at Blue Room
Thursday is free, donations welcome! - All ages

9:00pm-11:00pm - Jam: Old-Pan-Celtic-Time Jam Sesh at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

January 20, 2023

2:30pm - Doors open at the Majestic

3:00pm-3:40pm - Performance: Bryan Bowers at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

4:00pm-5:00pm - Workshop: Introduction to Mountain Dulcimer Workshop with Beverly Hoback at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages
In this Introduction to Mountain Dulcimer workshop, participants will learn about various tunings of the dulcimer, how to play basic chords or melodies with drones, how to strum and pick, how to use a noter to play melodies, how to do ornamentation such as hammer-ons, pull-offs, and harmonics, and will leave knowing a simple song that they’ll be able to play and sing immediately. They’ll also take home hand-outs with more complex chords, additional songs to practice, and resources for dulcimer supplies, dulcimer how-to books and music, and information about the 2023 summer Kindred Gathering west coast dulcimer festival. Don’t own a dulcimer? No problem: the instructor will bring a second dulcimer to loan out during the class, so everyone can get some hands-on experience.

4:20pm-5:00pm - Performance: Corner House at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

5pm - Doors open at the Blue Room

5:10pm-5:30pm - Performance: Beverly Hoback at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

5:30pm-6:10pm - Performance: Cape Flattery at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

5:30pm-6:15pm - Performance: Quickdraw Stringband at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

5:40pm-6:20pm - Performance: Elizabeth LaPrelle & Brian Dolphin at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

6:30pm-6:50pm - Performance: Hildaland at Majestic Ballroom: Downstiars
Festival pass - All ages

6:45pm-7:30pm - Performance: Sweet Old Souls at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

6:50pm-7:30pm - Performance: Tango Cowboys at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

7:00pm-7:40pm - Performance: Kalos at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

8:00pm-8:40pm - Performance: Reeb & Caleb at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

8:00pm-9:00pm - Performance: Local Songwriters Showcase hosted by Ted O’Connell, wherein locals play covers of locals, locally, on location at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages
Come see some of our fine local musicians play covers of their favorite homegrown songs by other local artists, locally, on location at the Majestic. BFF performers and ticket holders are eligible. Contact Ted O'Connell for the rules, bylaws, and secret handshakes: [email protected] or Facebook messenger.

8:00pm-9:00pm - Performance: The Best Intentions at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

8:00pm-10:00pm - Dance: Square Dance w/Elizabeth LaPrelle and Merriweather at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass or $10 at the door - All ages

8:00pm-10:00pm - Performance: Jay Cobb Anderson at Aslan Depot
Free - 21+

9:20pm-10:00pm - Performance: Maggie & Cassie at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

9:30pm-11:30pm - Jam: Pan-Celtic Jam hosted by Kalos at Honey Moon Meadery
Free - 21+

January 21, 2023

9:30am - Doors open at the Majestic

9:30am - Doors open at the Blue Room

10:00am-11:00am - Workshop: Kalos at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs + Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages
Learn a tune and chat with the members of Kalos. Recommended for players with intermediate experience on their instrument and comfort learning by ear.

10:00am-11:00am - Workshop: Klezmer Tune Deep Dive with Jimmy Austin at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
What is Klezmer and what is Yiddish music? What makes it uniquely Yiddish? We'll start this session by learning a klezmer tune. Then we'll let this tune show us its story as we explore its cultural and historical context, the dance it's for, the mode it's built with, and how to play accompaniment. While learning by ear is encouraged, sheet music will be available too. Some knowledge of scales is recommended. Bring any instrument you like, including your voice!

11:30am-12:00pm - Performance: Reeb & Caleb at Champlin Guitars
Free - All ages

11:30am-12:30pm - Workshop: Maggie & Cassie MacDonald at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs + Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages
Learn a tune and chat with Maggie & Cassie MacDonald. Recommended for players with intermediate experience on their instrument and comfort learning by ear.

11:30am-12:30pm - Workshop: Not Just In The Background - Songs and Music for Community Events hosted by Geof Morgan and Richard Scholtz at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
A workshop conversation for musicians, singers, songwriters, and community organizers.

12:30pm-2:00pm - Jam: Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes at Brandywine
Free! - All ages
The goal of the Cascadia Book of Fiddle Tunes is to share tunes from this time and place so that jam circle repertoire expands to include tunes written by the faces sitting around the circle. It began with a desire to learn the original compositions of close friends and has grown into a 60+ tune project with content from contributors of Cascadia: British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California. Join one of the book’s creators and some of the tune authors for a fun and casual happy hour!

1:00pm-1:40pm - Performance: Reeb & Caleb at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

1:00pm-2:00pm - Workshop: Write One Song! with Jenner Fox at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
Write one song! This will be an opportunity to explore the medium of songwriting in an inclusive playful environment with a prompt, a look into the songwriting process, and an opportunity to share. We will hold close the philosophy of poet William Stafford that, "There is no such thing as writer's block for the writer whose standards are low enough," and give ourselves permission to create something unpolished. All genres and musical abilities are welcome. Bring your instrument, a notepad, and a pen. Listeners are welcome too!

1:50pm-2:10pm - Performance: Amy Hakanson at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

2:20pm-3:00pm - Performance: Corner House at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

2:30pm-3:30pm - Workshop: Folk Lullabies with Elizabeth LaPrelle and Brian Dolphin at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
In the workshop, we will teach some of our favorite American traditional and original lullabies that we have arranged for 2 and 3 part harmony. Depending on interest, we might also throw in another Georgian and/or Ukrainian lullaby.

2:30pm-4:00pm - Jam: Hosted by the Faux Paws at Brandywine
Free! - All ages

3:10pm-3:30pm - Performance: Collin Stackhouse at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

3:40pm-4:20pm - Performance: Jenner Fox & Jeremy Elliott at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

4:30pm-4:50pm - Performance: Mark Kilianski at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

4:30pm-6:00pm - Jam: Hosted by Corner House at Brandywine
Free! - All ages

5:00pm-5:40pm - Performance: Varelse at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

5:00pm-5:40pm - Performance: Sean Hall at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

5:30pm-7:00pm - Jam: Pub Sing hosted by Peter C. and friends at Honey Moon
Free - 21+

5:50pm-6:10pm - Performance: Linda Allen at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

6:20pm-7:00pm - Performance: Maggie & Cassie at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass - All ages

6:30pm-7:10pm - Performance: Sweet Goodbyes at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

7:30pm-9:30pm - Jam: Scandi Jam hosted by Varelse at Honey Moon
Free - 21+

7:30pm-9:30pm - Jam: Old Time Jam hosted by Clyde Curley at Majestic Ballroom: Downstairs
Festival pass - All ages

7:30pm-9:30pm - Dance: Contra Dance w/Maureen Collier, Faux Paws & Corner House at Majestic Ballroom: Upstairs
Festival pass or $10 at the door - All ages

9:00pm-10:30pm - Performance: Ramblxr at Blue Room
Festival pass or $10 at the door - All ages

9:30pm-11:30pm - Jam: Pan-Celtic Session at Honey Moon
Free - 21+

January 22, 2023

9:30am - Doors open at the Blue Room

10:00am-11:00am - Workshop: Practice Less, Improve More with Michael Connolly at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
Back by popular demand! Trying to learn a new song but keep making the same mistake? Fumbling fingers or just can’t remember that elusive third part of a tune? Your practice techniques may be working against you! Join us as Michael Connolly shares some simple, but scarily-effective ways to practice more efficiently and make more progress in less time on any instrument, in any style of music. We’ll go over the theory and then work with class participants to try the techniques on a song or tune they’re working on.

11:30am-12:30pm - Song Workshop w/Reeb & Caleb at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

12:30pm-2:00pm - Jam: Bluegrass/Open Jam hosted by Mark Kilianski at Brandywine
Free! - All ages

1:30pm-2:00pm - Social: Cookie Time at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages
Come eat cookies with other people that love cookies!

2:00pm-3:00pm - Performance: Faux Paws at Blue Room
Festival pass - All ages

2:30pm-3:00pm - Performance: Casey Connor at Champlin Guitars
Free - All ages

2:30pm-4:00pm - Jam: Cowboy Camp Sing-Along at Brandywine
Free! - All ages
The Tango Cowboys will lead a sing-a-long of traditional and familiar cowboy songs from the Wild West. Get ready to sing out “Streets of Laredo,” “Shenandoah,” “Ghost Riders In The Sky” and other favorites! Everyone gets a songbook to read from and no one is left out.

5:00pm-8:00pm - Closing Ceremonies/Jam/Jelly at Honey Moon
Free - 21+

Date: January 19-22, 2023, 2023

Locations:
Aslan Depot: Barrels and Blending, 1322 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
The Majestic, 1027 N. Forest St., Bellingham, WA 98225
The Blue Room, 202 East Holly Street 301, Suite 401, Bellingham, WA 98227
The Brandywine, 1317 Commercial Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
Champlin Guitars, 1121 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225
Honey Moon Meadery, 1053 North State Street, Bellingham, WA 98225

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