Winter Folk Dancing In The Sun
2026-01-24 - 2026-02-03 | Hotel Alay, Av. Alay, 5, Benalmádena, Málaga, 29630, Spain
Our 6th annual Winter Folk Dance Festival in the Sun
at the Hotel Alay, Benalmadena, Costa del Sol, Spain
(overlooking the World Famous Marina and just 15 minutes from Malaga Airport)
Ten glorious days and nights of music, song, English folk dancing, including contra, square, Playford, and of course a ceilidh evening, plus tutorials and workshops daily!

Mini-Fest
2026-02-07 11:00 - 18:00 (America/New_York) | Browne Academy, 5917 Telegraph Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310, United States
The Mini-Fest is a FREE Folk Festival featuring musical performances, dance demonstrations, singing and instrument workshops, family programing, and more! Join us Saturday, March 7th in Alexandria, VA.

Cabin Fever 2026
2026-02-13 - 2026-02-15 | Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, 461 West Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States
Three days of music, dance, and hanging out with couple hundred of your best friends. In 2026 we are featuring Chris Page calling to the music of Contraforce and Starling. Registration is limited to 200.

The Flurry Festival
2026-02-13 18:00 - 2026-02-15 18:00 (America/New_York) | Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY, 12866, United States
One of the largest traditional participatory dance and music festivals in North America, the 2026 Flurry will take place February 13-15, 2026, and will feature dance and music such as swing, blues, contra, square dancing, Cajun, Zydeco, English country, Balkan, Scandinavian, Latin, waltz, tango, Scottish, fusion, international, Irish, balfolk, African, Appalachian, Asian, hip hop, techno contra, instrument workshops, family programming, jams, storytelling, group singing, concerts, crafts, yoga and more! We offer a variety of ticket options ranging from single session to full weekend, discounts for young adults and seniors, and children under 12 are free!
In 2026 we will have four Pre-Festival Intensives on Friday afternoon, with Swing dancing starting at 12pm–5pm while Latin, Waltz, and Vocal Harmony are all 1pm–5pm. You can dedicate some extra hours to your favorite genre, or buy the combo ticket and take all four topics!

66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival
2026-02-20 - 2026-02-21 | Mandel Hall, University of Chicago, 1131 E 57th St, Chicago, IL, 60637, United States
Traditional Music To The Rescue For Your Winter Doldrums!
66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival, 20-21 February 2026
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s the 66th Annual University of Chicago Folk Festival, coming atcha like that asteroid came at the dinosaurs! Not to worry, no dinosaurs were hurt in the preparation of this festival, which features some of the top roots and traditional folk music and arts onstage and in workshops.
We’re proud to present two full nights of concerts on the evenings of Friday, 20 February and Saturday, 21 February in the University of Chicago’s historic Mandel Hall (1131 E 57th St), plus a full day of free workshops and dances on Saturday, 21 February in Ida Noyes Hall (1212 E 59th St). Concerts will also be streamed online.
Featured artists for 2026:

High Fidelity
Luke Huval Band
Gap Civil
Jontavious Willis
Lissa Schneckenburger
Juan Rivera
Ethan Leinwand

The Friday evening concert will begin at 8:00 PM Central Time; Saturday at 7:30 PM. Livestreams of both concerts will be available on our Facebook page and our YouTube channel.
Free workshops and dance instruction will be offered at Ida Noyes Hall on Saturday, 21 February, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM. Please watch our website and our Facebook page for details.
Nightly concert lineup, ticket prices and the date that tickets go on sale will be announced shortly. The Folklore Society will also provide online opportunities for generous fans to donate to help cover this year’s costs and support future Folk Festivals.

Bayou Bedlam Contra Dance Weekend
2026-02-20 - 2026-02-22 | Knights of Columbus Roemer Hall, 607 E Whitney St, Houston, TX, 77022, United States
Houston Area Traditional Dance Society invites you to The Bayou City for a contra dance weekend!
Bayou Bedlam 2026 (Feb 20-22) features the musical charisma of Eloise & Co. and the masterful calling talents of Cis Hinkle.
Bayou Bedlam is danced on a sprung wood floor.
Plenty of snacks, an extensive Saturday lunch, and fabulous Sunday brunch are included.
Callers in attendance have the chance to call with Eloise & Co. as well.
Work trade and hospitality available!
Cis will be calling using gender-neutral terms (larks & robins).

Chance Dance
2026-02-28 | Christ Episcopal Church, 101 N. Fountain Street, Cape Girardeau, MO, 63701, United States
One-day contra dance festival in Cape Girardeau, MO. $20 for entire day.

DownEast Country Dance Festival
2026-03-27 19:30 - 23:30 (America/New_York) | Mt. Ararat Middle School & Orion Performing Arts Center, 60 Republic Ave., Topsham, ME, 04086, United States
Join us for the 36th annual DownEast Country Dance Festival, celebrating traditional music and dance in Maine. Friday night’s opening contra dance features Maine’s own Pine Tree Flyers with caller Dugan Murphy, and Cojiro with caller Adina Gordon.
$13-20, children under 10 free.

DownEast Country Dance Festival
2026-03-28 10:00 - 23:30 (America/New_York) | Mt. Ararat Middle School & Orion Performing Arts Center, 60 Republic Ave., Topsham, ME, 04086, United States
Join us for the 36th annual DownEast Country Dance Festival celebrating traditional music and dance in Maine. Contradance all day or enjoy English, International, Scandi, swing & more with bands from Maine and beyond. Attend a workshop, jam session, or concert. Saturday night’s contradance features Maine’s own Scrod Pudding with caller Bill Olson and Cojiro with caller Adina Gordon.
$13-55, children 10 and under free.

New England Folk Festival
2026-04-24 18:00 - 2026-04-26 17:30 (America/New_York) | Best Western Royal Plaza Hotel and Trade Center, 181 Boston Post Road West, Marlborough, MA, 01752, United States
NEFFA attracts over 2000 attendees from all over the country and overseas and features close to 1000 performers. The Festival is unique because of the participatory nature of the events. Not only are there concerts and performances, but there are also opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with music, dance, and folk arts culture.

Contra Hall at the 75th National Square Dance Convention
2026-06-23 - 2026-06-27 | Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave, Waco, TX, 76701, United States
Enjoy several days of contra dancing at the 75th National Square Dance Convention in Waco, TX June 24-27, 2026.
Note: Contra callers who register by Dec 31, 2025 and indicate their interest on the registration form can be scheduled to call contra dances or other traditional formations at this national convention, which will have 3,000 attendees!
Registration is $80 for adults until May 1, 2026, when it increases to $95.
Register on our website. The contra hall schedule (which might include you as a caller!) will be posted in the Spring of 2026 on the Contralab Facebook page.

New London Assembly at AEMF
2026-07-19 - 2026-07-26 | Muhlenberg College, 2400 W. Chew St, Allentown, PA, 18104, United States
Directed by Mark Weinstein, with Andrew Shaw and Victoria Yeomans
Musicians:
Karen Axelrod piano
Ben Schreiber violin
Molly Tucker violin
New London Assembly is a week-long series of dance classes, lectures, workshops, and evening dancing, all done to fabulous music. Although focused primarily on historical 17th- and 18th-century country dance, we will also include some of the modern dances they have inspired.
Over the years of our existence starting with Andrew Shaw’s first visit in 2013, we’ve developed a culture with strong attention to detail during the daytime workshops and spirited community recreational dancing in the evenings. Of special interest are the excellent Amherst Early Music Festival evening concerts and lectures.

Bear Hug Contra Dance Festival
2026-09-11 16:00 - 2026-09-13 13:00 (America/Denver) | Flathead Lake United Methodist Camp, 21339 Methodist Camp Rd, Rollins, MT, 59931, United States
Get ready to contra dance, sing, swim, canoe, and play music at the 2026 Bear Hug weekend on the shores of Montana’s Flathead Lake! Music provided by Raven and Goose and The Unstrung String Band, with callers Susan Petrick and Rab Cummings. Singles, couples, families, and all ages are welcome! Entertainment, meals, and lodging (shared rustic cabins, or tent or RV camping) are provided. Registration fees are on a sliding scale. Hope to see you there!

Country Dance Tour to Prague and the Czech Republic 2026!
2026-09-30 - 2026-10-12 | Prague, Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Manitoba, 10400, Czech Republic
A fantastic way to experience Prague and the Czech Republic in the company of folks interested in dance, music and culture. The tour will feature many different activities and interesting locations. You’ll have a chance to meet Czech folk and country dancers, see interesting places listed as UNESCO heritage sites, visit historical towns, meet people who are engaged in traditional folk production, take short hikes in beautiful surroundings, and also explore different aspects of local folklore.
The last three days of the tour are spent in Prague attending the Country Dance Festival Jasana Bonuše, that includes: contras, squares, English Country dances, and more.
The complete program, prices, and registration details can be found here.

The Five Borough Fling
2026-11-06 - 2026-11-08 | Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, 263 W 86th St, New York, NY, 10024, United States
Three days of contra dance, music, & song in NYC!

Contra Hall at the 76th National Square Dance Convention
2027-06-22 - 2027-06-26 | The Ranch Events Complex, 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland, CO, 80538, United States
Enjoy hours and hours of contra dancing and related traditional dance (English, squares, community dance) at the 76th NSDC in Loveland, CO. Registration is open and the cost is currently $70 per adult.
Contra callers! If you register by Dec. 31, 2026, you can be included as a caller in the Contra Hall! 3,000 attendees are expected at this national square dance convention!
More information available as we get closer to the date!
