Folk College: May 23-25, 2025

Folk College

Workshops • Concerts • Coaching Sessions Jamming • Singing • Dancing

• A fun & friendly weekend of playing & hearing folk music
• Warm, welcoming, and fun
• Pick up an instrument and rekindle your love of music
• Plenty to do for musicians of all levels
• Lots for non-musicians too
• Located on a beautiful college campus in the mountains of Pennsylvania

A Truly Special Weekend

Folk College was founded to help more people learn to play music together. It is a non-competitive environment where you can kindle—or rekindle—your love of playing through folk music. Each year the staff includes nationally known musicians and wonderfully nurturing teachers from a broad spectrum of folk styles. Within one weekend, you’ll have a choice of workshops ranging from old time to Celtic to blues to international, and you’ll get to sing, dance, play, and listen.

Easy to Participate

Many workshops, with subjects like “Learning to Jam,” “Tunes that are Cooler Than They are Hard,” and “How to Play by Ear” are designed to encourage musicians who have been “stuck in their living room,” haven’t picked up their instrument since high school, or maybe just wanted to play an instrument but never dared!

Non-Musicians Welcome

From “Try a Banjo” and “Try a Fiddle” to “Beginning Harmonica” and “Beginning Jaw Harp” and “Fun & Easy Percussion”, there are workshops designed for the total non-musician in mind

Our Faculty

This year’s faculty of musicians includes host band Simple Gifts, the music of South & North Americas with Acoustic Nomads, the English, Celtic & Baroque music of The Chivalrous Crickets, the progressive acoustic bluegrass sound of High Horse, the country blues sound of the Piedmont Bluz Acoustic Duo, singer, songwriter,  humorist Jamie Anderson, and the fusion of traditional fiddle tunes, jazz, tango, classical, and more with Midnight on the Water, and more.

For a full list and complete descriptions, check out the faculty page.

Folk College Concerts

The Folk College concerts are open to the public with tickets available in advance and at the door.  The concerts take place at Halbritter Center for Performing Arts on the Juniata College campus in Huntingdon, PA.
(All Folk College participants have FREE entry to the concerts.)

This is your opportunity to see national talent in our area.

Friday, May 23, 2024 Concert

7:00 p.m. Faculty Concert

Simple Gifts

The Chivalrous Crickets
Piedmont Bluz Acoustic Duo
High Horse

Saturday, May 24, 2025 Concert

7:00 p.m. Faculty Concert

Jamie Anderson
Midnight on the Water
Acoustic Nomads

Sunday, May 25, 2025

2:30-4:30 p.m. Student Bands Concert
A key part of the weekend is the Student Bands where Folk College participants have a chance to work with a small group in a band setting. Each band is coached by a professional staff member. The Student Bands are a showcase for unique band combinations, budding talent, and a chance for participants to display new skills learned during the Folk College weekend. The Sunday Student Bands Concert is FREE to the public.

Cost
Tickets for the Friday and Saturday concerts are $20 each ($15 for Huntingdon County Arts Council members).
All Folk College participants have FREE admission.
Tickets are available in advance, at the Huntingdon County Arts Council office at the Huntingdon County Arts Center, 313 12th Street in Huntingdon, and at the door.

Link to Friday, May 23, concert tickets

Link to Saturday, May 24, concert tickets

Folk College is a project of Simple Gifts and the Huntingdon County Arts Council, supported in part by a grant from Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.


Facebook Posts

🎻 As part of Folk College, a live folk music concert is open to the public. 🪕🪕 The Saturday, May 24 concert features three terrific acts: singer, songwriter, and humorist Jamie Anderson, the fusion of traditional fiddle tunes, jazz, tango, classical, and more with Midnight on the Water, and the music of South & North Americas with Acoustic Nomads. 🎻📌The concert is a 7 p.m. at Halbritter Center for Performing Arts on the Juniata College campus in Huntingdon, PA. 🎟️ Tickets are available in advance (huntingdoncountyarts.com/.../folk-college.../) and at the door. ... See MoreSee Less
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2 weeks ago

Huntingdon County Arts Council
Join us at Art Walk Huntingdon today and make this cute Yard Bird. From 5 to 8 p.m. at the Huntingdon County Arts Center, 313 12th Street, Huntingdon.And don't miss the chance to check out the other seven participating locations.Art Walk Huntingdon: Thursday, May 15, 5 to 8 p.m. ... See MoreSee Less
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