Logo: Susquehanna Folk Music Society
Presenting fine traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania since 1985

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sun, February 8 - February Jam & Song Swap

February Jam & Song Swap Harrisburg
Bring your favorite honey and songs about love — good and not-so-good. Our jam sessions are enjoyable afternoons of hands-on, homemade music. Everyone is welcome: instrumentalists and singers, musicians and listeners, all ages and levels, all acoustic folk styles. It's friendly and free. Sunday afternoon, February 8 at Fort Hunter Barn. MORE

Sun, February 15 - Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement

Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement Harrisburg
Grooving tunes, heartfelt vocal harmonies, and a sprinkling of fiddle and harmonica magic: a night of fretless fun with Brad’s unique gourd banjo and Alex’s upright bass. These longtime musical friends (and Charm City Junction bandmates) offer a fresh take on traditional tunes and original compositions. Concert on Sunday, February 15 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Sat, February 21 - Winter Coffee House

Winter Coffee House Winter Coffee House Winter Coffee House Harrisburg
Susquehanna Folk Coffeehouses are intimate evenings showcasing Central Pennsylvania's fine amateur acoustic musicians, who play a wide variety of material for an attentive, music-loving audience. This edition of the coffeehouse features veteran folkie Henry Koretzky, folk duo Strays&Misfits, and original songwriting from Bobbi Carmitchell and Friar Jon. FREE Coffeehouse concert on Saturday, February 21 at Fort Hunter Barn. MORE

Sun, March 1 - Open Mic Night

Open Mic Night New Cumberland
Spend the evening at the lovely West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, enjoying some fine local music and maybe taking center stage yourself. Be there at 5:15 to sign up to play! Sunday, March 1 at West Shore Theatre. MORE

Sun, March 8 - March Jam & Song Swap

March Jam & Song Swap Harrisburg
Wear, play and sing your best Irish at our March jam. Our jam sessions are enjoyable afternoons of hands-on, homemade music. Everyone is welcome: instrumentalists and singers, musicians and listeners, all ages and levels, all acoustic folk styles. It's friendly and free. Sunday afternoon, March 8 at Fort Hunter Barn. MORE

Mon, March 9 - Dervish

Dervish New Cumberland
This brilliant Irish trad band from Sligo has been selling out international shows for decades, turning each concert stage into a mighty pub session. The Irish Times puts them in the same class with The Bothy Band and The Chieftains. Get tickets early for this one! Concert on Monday, March 9 at West Shore Theatre. MORE
Show more events

Winter & Spring Concerts

Graphic: Susquehanna Folk's 40th Anniversary (1985 to 2005)

coming up:

  • Damn Tall Buildings w/Andrew Pauls 1/17
  • Crys Matthews w/Sarah Fiore 1/31
  • Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement 2/15
  • Dervish 3/9
  • Tannahill Weavers 3/10
  • Bryan McDowell & Mark Schatz 4/11
  • Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas 4/26
  • The Kennedys 5/8 tentative
  • Mama's Broke 5/11
  • Jams, Coffeehouses, Open Mics
Graphic
Support What You Love. Sing along. Clap and grin. Find your people. Smile at someone. Lend a hand. Savor joy. Sponsor a show. Listen with your heart Lean into love. Give to Susquehanna Folk.
Show us some love!

Get Our Emails

* indicates required
Subscription Options (see details)

* While giving your name is not REQUIRED, it is APPRECIATED. We are real people, and we’d love to get to know you!

If you have trouble with reCAPTCHA, try this alternative form.

Youth are the Future of Culture

In this Folk Artist spotlight, folklorist Amy Skillman is inspired to see young people experiencing and loving traditional music and dance.

Biplab Khatiwada sits cross-legged on the floor behind two drums, playing them with his hands. Each drum is about a foot high, one narrower and higher pitched than the other. Three larger, taller drums are off to the side.

I recently had a day that filled me with hope: seeing two teenagers pouring their hearts into traditional arts. I felt so lucky to be a folklorist working with SFMS! There are many ways for young people to engage with traditional arts in Central Pennsylvania, from Chinese calligraphy to Balkan music to Irish dance.

A young woman performs a classical Indian dance.She is crouching with her arms out in front of her as if she holds a box, and she looks worried. At left are four musicians sitting cross-legged on a low platform. The dancer's dress is magenta and orange, with a pleated skirt, and decorations on her head.

In the top photo, 16-year-old Biplab Khatiwada plays tablas, a pair of hand drums common in Nepali music. In the bottom photo, 14-year-old Nitya Nandakesan performs Bharatanatyam dance at her arangetram (debut recital). At a time of life when there’s strong pressure to conform, these two local teens are fine with being a little different: embracing their cultural heritage and making it part of their identity.

The full article explores other ways creative young people are both preserving and shaping traditional arts.

Continue reading...
See more Folk Artist Spotlights
The board and staff of the Susquehanna Folk Music Society are committed to celebrating and affirming diverse cultures through programming which explores the music, dance, craft and stories of many people. We stand in complete solidarity with the Black community and all marginalized communities to speak out against injustice, bigotry and racial violence.
Carl “Buffalo” Nichols is seen in profile, wearing a black knit cap, a black shirt, and a large black disc earring. He is facing left, looking downward, seeming relaxed but serious and a little sad.
A head-and-shoulders portrait of Sug Daniels. She is a young black woman with a strong, direct gaze. She has thick arched eyebrows, a broad nose with a stud on one side, very full lips, and medium-brown skin. She is wearing a black hat with a broad brim, tilted up, so all we see is a wide black disc behind her head. The photo is cropped so the edge of the hat almost doesn’t show. She also has a red bandanna wrapped around her head, with an inch or so showing beneath the hat brim.
Crys Matthews, a young Black woman, wears a crisp white button-down men’s shirt, black tie and black suspenders. She has her thumbs underneath the suspender straps, pulling them up off her shoulders. Her curly hair is long on top and cropped close at the sides.
Sheila Arnold, an older Black woman with very short hair, holds her fingers up in L shapes, like a frame that she is looking through. She smiles as she speaks to her audience.
A Black man is smiling warmly, resting his hand on the upper curve of a guitar. He has short graying hair, a wide smile, and a long face. He wears a white shirt and a vest with narrow vertical ribbon-like stripes.
Reggie Harris believes in the power of music to build community. Through his singing, song-leading, storytelling, and simply living his commitment, Reggie helps people discover that they can make a difference. His new musical project with White folk singer Greg Greenway, “Deeper Than the Skin,” is an inspiring experience of shared friendship and humanity. [2024-2025 Concert Series]