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

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Fri, August 15 - Cumberland Honey: Sunset Music

Cumberland Honey: Sunset Music Harrisburg
SFMS presents local band Cumberland Honey as part of Fort Hunter Park’s “Sunset Music and Movies” series. Sweet harmonies with folk influences, soul and a taste of bluegrass from the heart of Cumberland County, PA. Their original songs weave stories of life, love and a call to social action. Rain date August 17th. Friday evening, August 15 at Fort Hunter Park.

Sat, August 23 - Volunteer Appreciation Picnic

Volunteer Appreciation Picnic Harrisburg
All Susquehanna Folk volunteers, past and future, are invited to a cookout potluck with live musical entertainment by SFMS Board members! Saturday, August 23 at Fort Hunter Park, West Pavilion. MORE

Sat, August 30 - Swing Dance Classes at Mt Gretna

Swing Dance Classes at Mt Gretna Swing Dance Classes at Mt Gretna Mt Gretna
Carla Crowen of The Rhythm Lounge will be teaching swing dance classes for all levels, starting at 5pm. Dust off those shoes and get ready to dance in the aisles! Tuba Skinny concert is SOLD OUT! Tuba Skinny doesn’t just play music; they transport listeners to the heart of New Orleans — a city pulsing with life, with an unparalleled influence on American music and a profound love for its musical roots. They play jazz, ragtime, jug band and string band tunes, country blues and more. Swing dance classes and outdoor concert on Saturday, August 30 at Mt Gretna Playhouse. MORE

Fri, September 12 - The Kathleen Parks Band

The Kathleen Parks Band York
This fiddler, singer, and songwriter brings joyful and creative energy to the stage and studio. Her writing leans toward pop, folk, and classic jazz, while her virtuosic fiddle blends and reimagines traditional and modern musical styles with boundless groove, and a playful improvisational spirit. Concert on Friday, September 12 at UUCY. MORE

Sun, September 21 - Folk at Fort Hunter Day

Folk at Fort Hunter Day Harrisburg
SFMS hosts an open jam session as part of the annual Fort Hunter Day festivities. Afternoon music includes Van Wagner, Fire in the Glen, Hammer Creek Bluegrass, Forbes Road Frolic, and the St Thomas Dulcimer Society. Enjoy family-friendly activities and historical demonstrations, food, crafts, and more, all day Sunday, September 21 at Fort Hunter Park. MORE

Sun, September 21 - 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, September 21 at West Shore Theatre. MORE
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Field & Folk 2025

our fourth annual Harvest Dinner
Saturday, September 27
at Beshore Hill Farm

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A view of the dining table at our 2022 Harvest Dinner

delicious hyper-local foods

The menu, curated by Farm to Belly, features an onsite pig roast (veggie entree too) and an abundance of fresh-from-the-field veggies.

and live music by Barkley Cove

Barkley Cove

Barkley Cove is the band to watch in the new folk scene. Founded on collaborative songwriting, strong vocal harmony, and improvisation, the four members of the band fearlessly mix genres of folk, rock, country, and bluegrass to create a distinctively original musical style.

In 2024, Barkley Cove received the Spot Award for Best Collegiate Band from the Central Pennsylvania Music Awards. As their reach expands up and down the East Coast, their imaginative songwriting and dedicated musicianship continues to push the boundaries of folk music.

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Pennsylvania Relief Sale Quilt Auction

In this Folk Artist spotlight, we visit the Pennsylvania Relief Sale, a quilt auction that supports humanitarian work around the globe. More than just a fundraiser, it’s a family-friendly event centered around one of the most enduring cultures in our region.

An applique quilt showing a colorful array of tulips in a wooden cart or buggy. A bluebird perches on the cart’s handle.
This cheerful wall hanging won "Best in Show" at this year's Pennsylvania Relief Sale

For anyone who loves quilts and other handwork, the annual Pennsylvania Relief Sale is a must. A cultural staple in our region since 1957, it reflects generations of Central PA traditions of handwork, foodways, gardening, games, and music.

Besides the exhibition and auction of quilts, the event features food, live choral music, a plant sale, quilting supplies, and the contagious joy of quilt enthusiasts in a creative calico wonderland.

What began on a farm in Berks County, now fills all 172,000 square feet of the Giant Exposition Hall at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. Next year's sale — April 2026 — is their 70th sale, and it's well worth marking your calendar now!

A montage of six quilt patterns. Top left is two squares of Veggie Cats: an orange cat curled in the shape of a pumpkin, and a maroon cat curled in the shape of an eggplant. Top center has blue swirls like cresting waves between long-pointed stars. Top right is a crazy quilt, with various shapes sewn together and ornately embroidered.

photos by Amy Skillman

The quilts showcase a wide variety of designs and techniques, from patchwork to applique to embroidery.
Read more about the Pennsylvania Relief Sale...
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.
Curtain call at a Black Opry show, with several Black artists (mostly women) celebrating.
Mônica Teles, holding a drum, sits back-to back with Chelsea Caroline who holds a guitar. Mônica is a young women of Hispanic appearance, with light brown skin and dark hair; her bandmate is a young white woman. Both have bare arms with cowrie shell armbands.
A plate of Vietnamese grilled pork. It is beautifully presented in a whitebowl with pretty chopsticks laid across the rim pf the bowl. The bowl contains a layer of salad greens at the bottom, then a pile of thin white rice noodles, then the pork in red-brown sauce, then a garnish of decoratively-sliced carrot pieces, chopped peanuts, and cauliflower florets.
King Jester is a young Black man, leaning against a wall as he plays a metallic resonator guitar. He wears a gray T-shirt and is looking down at the guitar.
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]