Join us March 28-29, 2025 at our usual location at Mt Ararat Middle School in Topsham, ME. We'll also have a Survivor's Dance at the Topsham Grange on Sunday March 30th. A copy of the schedule, and links to online ticket sales and volunteer applications will be posted soon. For now we are pleased to announce our featured performers.

River Road delivers beauty, power, and groove to contra dances with a highly revered mixture of contemporary and traditional tunes with strong influences from Quebecois, New England, and maritime traditions, featuring Sarah-Hadley Yakir on fiddle, Kristen Planeaux on piano, flute, and accordion, and Jesse Ball on mandolin, guitar, accordion, and foot percussion. While they are geographically divided by the Connecticut river, an aptly named River Road connects them to create an energy that is highly sought after in the contra dance scene.

Rick Mohr is a nationally renown contradance caller and choreographer from the Philadelphia area. We're glad to have him back in Maine!

Schedule of Events:

March 28, 2025

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Franklin County Fiddlers is a multi-stylistic fiddle band made up of students at Mt. Blue High School. We rehearse each Monday evening, and we perform our high energy shows often! Over the years the Franklin County Fiddlers have travelled to learn, share and perform in Nashville, Boston, New Orleans, Ireland, Québec, New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Nova Scotia! This group has a long standing tradition of not being afraid to be awesome!

Chrissy Fowler from Belfast, ME cheerfully leads folks of all ages in traditional New England social dance. She is gifted at building community through dance and movement, and has been involved with the successful Belfast Flying Shoes organization, and all of their community programming for many years.

March 29, 2025

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Pineland Fiddlers is group of young fiddlers from Central Maine lead by Maine master fiddler Ellen Gawler and accompanied by Benjamin Foss on guitar. The group has traveled to the Shetland Islands of Scotland and to Cape Breton Island to learn and perform. The group frequently joins us at the DownEast Country Dance Festival and we're excited to have them for a dance in the main hall.

Maggie Robinson is longtime caller, fiddler, and a member of the DownEast Country Dance Festival planning committee. Maggie lives in Southern Maine and calls dances all over the state.

Date: March 28 - 29, 2025

Location: Mt Ararat Middle School, 66 Republic Ave, Topsham, ME 04086

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