Logo: Susquehanna Folk Music Society
Central Pennsylvania's grass-roots voice for folk music and dance!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sun, April 2 - April Open Mic Night

April Open Mic Night April Open Mic Night New Cumberland
Our new Open Mic Night is now monthly! On this first Sunday of April, spend the evening at the lovely West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, enjoying some fine local music and maybe taking center stage yourself. For April, your host is Joe Cooney. Be there at 6:15 to sign up to play! FREE Open Mic Night on Sunday, April 2 at the West Shore Theatre. MORE

April 15-16 - The Faux Paws Weekend

The Faux Paws Weekend The Faux Paws Weekend Lancaster & Harrisburg
A contagious groove and feel-good melting pot of raging fiddle tunes, saxophone solos and unrequited love songs. We get a whole weekend with this hot trio! Saturday evening contra dance at St John's in Lancaster with caller Caroline Barnes, and a Sunday evening concert at Fort Hunter in Harrisburg.

Sun, April 23 - Spring Coffee House

Spring Coffee House Spring Coffee House Spring Coffee House Spring Coffee House Spring Coffee House Harrisburg
Join us for a FREE evening coffeehouse in the lovely historic Fort Hunter Centennial Barn. Please be generous in supporting local musicians!

Two very different singer / songwriters start us off: genre-jumping psych-folk from Scott Fagan and the emotive original songs of Michael Arthur. After a brief intermission, The Chestnuts cover great old artists from the 40s to the 80s, and Nothin’ Ta Plunder wraps up the evening with classic rock, blues and 60s music, plus a few country and original numbers.

Come on out for some terrific live local music! FREE Coffeehouse concert on Sunday, April 23 (*6pm*) at Fort Hunter Barn, Harrisburg. MORE

Thu, April 27 - É.T.É

É.T.É York
The word été in French means "summer" — a fitting tribute to this trio's original, lively take on Québec's traditional music. With lovely vocal harmonies, deep groove, and rich instrumentation, their shows transform the nostalgia of a kitchen party into an unforgettable celebration of the joie de vivre of Québecois culture. Thu, April 27 at UUCY. MORE

Sun, April 30 - Golden Shoals with Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement

Golden Shoals with Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement Golden Shoals with Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement Golden Shoals with Brad Kolodner & Alex Lacquement Harrisburg
“With one foot steeped in tradition and the other focused on fresh songwriting, Golden Shoals are helping to further the narrative of American Roots music and introducing the traditions of our past to a whole new generation of listeners.” Two Baltimore-based roots musicians join this Nashville-based duo, along with special guests Tanjo & Crow Project, for the concert on Sun, April 30 at Fort Hunter. MORE

Tue, May 2 - Arts In Education Workshop

Arts In Education Workshop Online
Are you curious about how to incorporate your artistic work into educational experiences for children and/or adults? This FREE and engaging workshop will give you tools and resources to help you succeed. Presented by our Susquehanna Folk Arts Center in partnership with BrightNow! and the Capital Area Intermediate Unit. Live on Zoom on Tuesday, May 2. MORE

SFMS Folk Arts Center

The SFMS Folk Arts Center is a regional hub for traditional artists, information, projects, and arts events. Find it under our COMMUNITY tab.

Founding AAQG member Narda LeCadre displays a quilt she made called 'Garlic Knot'
The African-American Quilters’ Gathering (AAQG) of Harrisburg, PA brings together folks who enjoy creating beautiful works of art from bits of fabric. The group welcomes all quilting enthusiasts, regardless of race or gender. When folklorist Amy Skillman visited one of their monthly meetings, they talked with her about creativity, collaboration, and giving back to the community.

Our Folk Artist Gallery showcases the diversity of traditional arts in our region. Each article showcases an artist (or group) and their art form, with photos, videos, sound clips, and rich narrative, assembled by our professional folklorist.

Susquehanna Folk is one of a statewide network of folk arts partners supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. EXPLORE THE FOLK ARTS CENTER

COVID SAFETY POLICY

For SFMS events, we follow CDC recommendations on the event date, adding any additional precautions required by the venue or the artist. Details on our COVID policy page.

BRING THE FAMILY!

Traditional arts often embody what is most important to a community: the things each generation wants to pass on to the next. And so by its very nature, much of traditional art is intended for the whole family.

Ed Stockton plays his guitar, smiling.  He is standing under a small tree on a summery day. He is a stocky man, wearing a plaid shirt and straw hat, and has a white beard.
Ed Stockton plays his beloved custom "New Christy Mistrels commemorative" Martin 12-string guitar. (courtesy of the artist)
Four teenage girls strike a pose as they rehearse for The Jungle Book.  They are all wearing tunics and sashes, and are all of Asian Indian descent. The girls at left and right are in a lunge pose, facing center.  The girl front & center is also in a lunge pose, but her upper body is twisted so she's facing the camera. The fourth girl stands behind them, looking as if she might be a narrator. All of the girls hold their arms and hands in graceful, stylized gestures from the Bharatanatyam dance tradition.
Rehearsing for The Jungle Book (photo by Rachita Nambiar)

This month we're spotlighting performances from two very different genres of traditional art: a concert by folksinger Ed Stockton (March 24) and a production of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book including Bharatanatyam dance (March 31 - April 2). Both represent art that is deeply rooted in the traditional, while also innovative, appealing and relevant for today’s audiences.

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.