May 23 - 25, 2025
Folk College
A fun & friendly weekend of playing & listening to folk music!
May 23 - 25, 2025
Workshops • Concerts • Coaching Sessions • Jamming • Singing • Dancing
A Special Weekend
Folk College was founded to help 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 "Singing for All " to “Try a Fiddle” to “Beginning Harmonica” and “Intro to Singing” and “Fun & Easy Percussion,” there are workshops designed for the total non-musician in mind. People with no music background whatsoever are welcome and encouraged to participate.
What is Folk College?
- A fun & friendly weekend of playing & hearing folk music
- Warm, welcoming, and fun
- Small workshop sizes for an intimate music camp
- 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
Full of Gems for All Levels
In addition to workshops geared toward beginners and non-musicians, there’s plenty of interest for the intermediate and advanced musician. Folk College participants return year after year and many are teachers and performers in their own right. Whether you explore a new genre, take home a new concept, or jam with an erhu, musicians of all levels will discover many gems at Folk College.
Student Bands: Coached by Pros
The culmination of the weekend’s activities is the Student Bands Concert. You’ll choose from an eclectic list of options and be coached by a professional musician in that genre. Or if you’re attending Folk College with your own band, you can request to be coached together. Most participants agree that the Student Band experience is what makes Folk College unique, and certainly an audience of your peers is one of the most appreciative you’ll ever have!
Concerts, Jamming, Dancing
Each evening features a staff concert followed by staff-led jam sessions that many people have said are the best jams they’ve attend all year. Saturday after the concert, there’s a contradance with an open band. And the finale on Sunday is the Student Bands Concert – so you’ll go home with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Held on a Beautiful College Campus in South Central Pennsylvania
Folk College is held at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.
The town of Huntingdon in located in the south-central part of Pennsylvania, nestled in the picturesque ridge and valley section of the Allegheny Mountains.
Juniata College, a small high level liberal arts college, is known for its community, environment and the flexibility in its rigorous academic programs.
A campus map is available for download.
Lodging
Single and double rooms are available in the dorms at Juniata College.
Hotels, bed & breakfasts, and camping are available nearby.
Information is available from the Huntingdon County Visitors Bureau.
Meals
We have a meal plan through Juniata College’s excellent dining services. They offer a number of options for each meal, both for meat eaters and vegetarians. The meal plan covers Friday supper, Saturday breakfast, lunch and supper, and Sunday breakfast and lunch.
There is a local Sheetz convenience store minutes from campus, as well as other dining options in the town of Huntingdon.