50th Alaska Folk Festival

Schedule of Events

Workshop Schedule

10:30am-11:50am
Egan
All Levels    
Going Places with Your Art
With: Ken Waldman
1989, the AK Folk Fest was one of Ken Waldman's first times ever on stage. Since then he's made a life on tour combining fiddle tunes, poetry, and storytelling--and now has 20 books, 12 CDs. Come learn how you too can take your art further.

10:30am-11:50am
Hickel
Intro-Intermediate    
Documentary Songwriters
With: Clara Schneid
DocSong is an 8-step process between Teaching Artist and Storyteller. Together, we write/record a complete song from a story that had an emotional impact on the storyteller. The process is powerfully transformative for all participants.

10:30am-11:50am
Hammond
Intro    
Dances of Universal Peace
With: Leah LaBar, Mark Kjerstad
Simple meditative dances honoring different spiritual practices. Open to all ages, no experience necessary.

10:30am-11:50am
Sheffield
Cajun and Creole Music
With: Dirk Powell, Amelia Powell, Rhiannon Giddens
Dirk and Amelia live in the heart of Cajun country and spend much of their time immersed in the music of Amelia’s grandfather, Dewey Balfa. They also have a long history of sharing music with Creole greats like Bois Sec Ardoin and the Frank Family. This workshop, open to all instruments and singers, will focus on what makes music from this part of Louisiana unique in terms of rhythm, language, melody, etc. Participants will learn about two-steps, waltzes, and blues.

12:00pm-1:20pm
Egan
Intro-Intermediate    
Playing Music with Others
With: Burl Sheldon
Participants will learn tips on playing songs and tunes in a group setting. How can we support the song/tune leader so that we make the best music possibly? All instruments welcome.

12:00pm-1:20pm
Sheffield
Intermediate    
Zesty Squares
With: Guest Caller - Suzanne Girardot
With cool floor movements and designed for fun, these squares get you moving and keep you connected. No lackluster figures in these dances - they'll keep you on your toes!

12:00pm-1:20pm
Hickel
Intro    
Shanty Shenanigans
With: The Strongbacks Shanty Choir
Hoist the anchor and warm up those pipes! Join us for rollicking maritime melodies, call-and-response fun, and harmonizing like a true sailor. No sailing experience needed—just bring your voice, your spirit, and a love for the good ol’ sea!

12:00pm-1:20pm
Hammond
All Levels    
Sacred Harp (Shape Note) Singing
With: Benjamin Hoffman, Phoebe Koenig
Sacred Harp is an community musical event emphasizing participation, not performance. The music, rooted in early American psalmody, is intense, haunting, and exuberant. No experience needed, but rudiments of music notation are helpful.

1:30pm-2:50pm
Hickel
Intro    
Beginning Harmonica
With: Ned Gaines
Take your first steps in the world of harmonica, and learn to start jamming now with the world's most popular instrument.

1:30pm-2:50pm
Hammond
Intro-Intermediate    
Jambusters Ukulele 101
With: Sherri McDonald and other Juneau Jambusters
Join us for a ukulele workshop, sponsored by the Juneau Jambusters! Perfect for beginners and intermediates, you’ll learn basic chords, master a one-chord song, and play in a group. Build rhythm, confidence, and have a blast!

1:30pm-2:50pm
Sheffield
All Levels    
20 Fillers For Square Dance Callers
With: Brian DeMarcus
Learn 20 alternative fillers to the ubiquitous Grand Right & Left that will spice up your dance calling, thrill your dancers, and keep them guessing. All levels of callers welcome. Let's have some fun.

1:30pm-2:50pm
Egan
Intro    
Dance Form & Etiquette for Fun!
With: Julie
Dance is a form of communication but communication helps dance form! How do we ask someone to dance, decline an offer, hold hands and spin? What about correcting someone, preventing injury, and expressing boundaries? Let's explore together.

3:00pm-4:20pm
Sheffield
Intro    
Intro to International Folkdance
With: Bruce Botelho & Kelsey Aho
We enjoy doing the dances done by people in other countries at weddings, parties, festivals – just about any time people get together and music is present. Our dances will be low-impact and accessible to all.

Performance Schedule

12:00pm    
Vox Borealis
Juneau, AK Featuring: Sara Radke Brown, David Monroe, Brian Crapo, Randy Wolfenberger, Jay Query, Steven Arends, Jacob Soboleff, Kristina Paulick, Elizabeth Ekins, Tania Green, Aria Moore, Christine Wick, Anneka Knotts Morgan, Skiba Wuoti, Kayla Kohlhase, Martin Harrington
Vox Borealis is an acapella chamber vocal ensemble in Juneau. We perform a variety of choral works, and as Victorian carolers during holiday season.

12:15pm    
The Wittones
Seattle, WA Featuring: Mark Wittow, Tom Kizzia, Anna Wittow, Matt Claman
From Homer, Anchorage, and Seattle to share a few great songs--we hope you’ll sing along.

12:30pm    
Ken Waldman & The Wild Ones
Anchorage, AK Featuring: Ken Waldman
Alaska's Fiddling Poet combines fiddle tunes + poems + friends--think fun, inspiration, surprises.

12:45pm    
Jenny Baker
Homer, AK
Jenny Baker was raised on volcanic rock in Bend, Oregon then traveled north to for adventures, to raise a family, and awaken her sub-arctic coastal soul.

1:00pm    
Your Favorite Sisters
Juneau, AK Featuring: Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs, Alicia Hughes-Skandijs
Forever young, just like this venerable institution, with the wind in our face and the bugs in our teeth. Playing a few favorites in these trying times.

1:15pm    
C.A. & Sonny
Ottawa, ON Featuring: Calum Jackson, Sonny Aiken
An Ottawa-based duo who enjoy playing old Canadian and American Folk, Ragtime, Blues, & trad fiddle tunes, mostly.

1:30pm    
Constant Structure
Anchorage, AK Featuring: Briana Glasinov, Brigid Donahue,, JD Sterling, Alex Bukovich, Heidi Herbert-Lovern, Clint McBride
Get ready to experience the electrifying sounds of Constant Structure, an Alaskan jazz band known for their innovative improvisations and soulful melodies.

1:45pm    
Hank Alrich
Greenville, CA Featuring: Hank Alrich, Shaidri Alrich
An experienced composer, performer, producer, offering a short set of engaging original songs.

2:00pm    
Emily Kane
Juneau, AK
Three two-song medleys. Emily sings and plays uke.

2:15pm    
Dead Calm
Lansing, MI Featuring: Andrew Cortese, Ned Gaines, Jon Oestreich, Josh Paul, Dave Parks, Melanie Berger
Hot boot-stomping, hip-shaking, bluesy folk rock.

2:30pm    
Jonny Newman
Girdwood, AK Featuring: Jonny Newman, Guest Instrumentalist
Folk originals and covers on the piano.

2:45pm    
Kristin & Friends
Portland, OR Featuring: Kristin Melling, Jesse Appelman, Eli West
Twin mandolins and sweet harms.

3:00pm    
Lina & Ryan
Whitehorse, YT Featuring: Ryan McNally, Lina Halimi
Lina Halimi (touring from France) and Ryan McNally (from Whitehorse, YT) are an old time duo playing trad fiddle tunes, honky tonk songs & folk.

3:15pm    
Shanks Mare
Juneau, AK Featuring: Greg Higdon, Matilda Higdon, Ben Higdon
Guess the tree don’t grow too far from the apple.

6:30pm    
Fireweed Fiddlers
Juneau, AK Featuring: Maya Breedlove, Cerys Hudson, Eliza Albrecht, Riley Soboleff, Eleanor Davis, Kiana Twitchell, Lua Mangacat, Clayton Marks, Ysabel Wilson, Jacquelyn Davis
A group of advanced string players(middle and high schoolers) perform lively fiddle tunes.

6:45pm    
Sarah Hamilton
Whitehorse, YT
Original swingin' country music from Yukon fiddler, singer, and songwriter Sarah Hamilton.

7:00pm    
The Empty Oil Barrel Band
Douglas, AK Featuring: Ed Schoenfeld, Riley Woodford, Maggie Schoenfeld, Jayne Andreen
We perform political satire and parodies and have been at it since the early 1980s. But this year is different. So many targets, so little time!

7:15pm    
Must Wear Pants
Seattle, WA Featuring: Michael Gray, Bob Banghart, Forest Gibson
Swing from Seattle, Bellingham and Juneau

7:30pm    
Them Wyo boys
Laramie, WY Featuring: Nick Park, Jackson Clarendon
Original Americana and blues.

7:45pm    
Stewart Ely
Pelican, AK
Original Songs By Other People. Gluten Free

8:00pm    
Fiery Gypsies
Juneau, AK Featuring: Dale Wygant, John Staub, Karen Pallenberg, Steve Tada
Red hot embers from the Gypsy campfire. We play both kinds of music- Country...& Eastern!!

8:15pm    
The Improbabillies
Homer, AK Featuring: Grany Dermody, Forrest Gibson, Scotty Meyer, Forrest Marowitz
An unlikely combination of country blues and old time music.

8:30pm    
Big Chimney Barn Dance
Juneau, AK Featuring: Carter Bancroft, Danny Consenstein, Jay Marvin, Rachel Overby, Nate Williamson, Peter Hamre
Raucous and driving Old Time string band music. BCBD is a touring Alaskan act who has played extensively in Ireland and the UK, as well as the Lower 48.

8:45pm    
Sloughgrass
Anchorage, AK Featuring: Robbie Collins, Rion Schmidt, Jason Norris, Zach Sharpe, Michael Carroll
Bluegrass traditional original unit. Very good times. From Cordova to San Francisco and everywhere in between. Sleu Gracias.

9:00pm    
Rhiannon Giddens with Dirk Powell
Guest Artist