bright colored line
Tumbleweed Music Festival
About Three Rivers Folklife Society | Become a Member
Concerts | Coffee Houses | Contra Dances | Song Circles
NW Links | World Links | Geek Venue | Home | Contents

The Pacific Northwest Folk Music Scene

Traveling to Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, B.C., Spokane, Walla Walla, or elsewhere in the Northwest? Check these sites for folk events in communities along the way.

Pacific Northwest Folklore Society. Founded in 1953, to preserve, promote, and present the folklore and traditional folk music of the Pacific Northwest.

Sacajawea Bluegrass Festival and Dutch Oven Rendezvous. An annual festival at Sacajawea State Park in Pasco, WA, sponsored by the Mid Columbia Traditional Arts and Music Association

Friends of Acoustic Music Lists folk music concerts, coffee houses, and contra dances in Walla Walla and the surrounding community.

The Pendleton Center for the Arts Sponsors folk, jazz, and blues concerts in Pendleton, Oregon.

Wallowa Valley Music Alliance "dedicated to encouraging the growth of the music community in Oregon's Wallowa County, by connecting music educators with students, and encouraging a widening participation in music of all genres, with particular emphasis on youth education."

Wallowa Lake Chamber Music Festival Continuing a tradition begun in 1996, the Chamber Music Festival brings world-class musicians to rural N.E. Oregon for an annual August festival.

Northeast Oregon Folklore Society Sponsors contra dances, Irish set dances, and occasional folk concerts in La Grande, Oregon.

Palouse Folklore Society Sponsors contra and circle dances, jam sessions, and occasional folk concerts in the Moscow/Pullman area.

Spokane Folklore Society Sponsors contra dances, festivals, music camps, and several varieties of jam sessions in the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area.

Inland Northwest Bluegrass Association Sponsors a variety of folk music events in the Spokane area.

Bozeman Folklore Society Sponsors contra dances and a monthly concert series in Bozeman, MT.

Yakima Folklife Association Sponsors monthly concerts and an annual folklife festival in Yakima.

Mid-Columbia Bluegrass Association Located in the Tri-Cities (Richland, Pasco, Kennewick), WA. Not yet online. For info, email DigMyPast@msn.com.

Mid-Columbia Folklore Society Lists folk music concerts and dances in The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon.

Seattle Folklore Society Lists the many concerts sponsored by this active organization. Links to other resources in the Puget Sound area and around the country.

Northwest Folklife Best known for their free annual NW Folklife Festival, held every Memorial Day weekend at Seattle Center. This organization also sponsors other performances during the year.

Portland FolkMusic Society Lists concerts, coffee houses, song circles, and open mikes sponsored by this organization in Portland, Oregon.

Corvallis Folklore Society Lists concerts, coffee houses, song circles, and contra dances in Corvallis, Oregon.

Rogue Folk Club Lists the many folk events this group sponsors in Vancouver, B.C. (The concerts are non-smoking AND licensed. Bring your own drinking vessel.) Provides links to some excellent folk music resources.

Victory Music Lists the open mikes sponsored by this organization in the Puget Sound area. Victory (Music) Review is a monthly hard-copy publication that lists Puget Sound folk music events and carries news from the world of folk music and reviews of CDs and tapes.

Washington Blues Society "...to promote, preserve, and advance the culture and tradition of Blues music as an art form." Offers articles and reviews from their Bluesletter. Also links to individual artists and bands, other Northwest blues sites, and a calendar of performances and festivals.

Washington Bluegrass Association Promoting the preservation, enjoyment, and support of bluegrass and related music. Check out their jam sessions and events calendar.

Northwest Zydeco Music and Dance Association Provides a calendar of NW Zydeco and Cajun events (mostly Seattle-Portland), dance classes, links to NW bands and venues, historical info, and links to a number of good sound clips.

Back to Table of Contents

bright colored line
Are there other Northwest non-commercial folk music sites we should add to this list?
Three Rivers Folklife Society welcomes your comments, suggestions, or questions.
3RFS Guest Book | Send e-mail to 3RFS