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.

There is music everywhere!  You will find jam sessions, instrument workshops, group singing, and traditional music throughout the Festival.

This year, we are bringing back the activities space, with crafts projects for people of all ages, and we we offer family-friendly dances and music events throughout the daytime hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Schedule of Events:

10:00am

Ragtime Foxtrot -- Susan de Guardiola, Two Cousins -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Easy Morning Contras -- Lisa Greenleaf, einstein's little homunculus -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Scandi Jam Session -- lydia ievins -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Intro to International Folk Dance -- Yaron Shragai, The Mad Katters -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Family Morris Dance Workshop -- Alex Cumming -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Contra Choreography -- Chris Page -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Old Time Gospel Sing -- Dallal & Henry -- Trade Center Tent (50 min.)
Balkan Brass Band Dance -- Conical Cacophony -- Trade Center West (50 min.)
Tunewriting Workshop -- Larry Unger -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

10:30am

Scottish Gems Rarely Heard -- Anne Kazlauskas, Ishmael Stefanov-Wagner -- Southborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

11:00am

French Balfolk Sampler -- Lynn Baumeister, Lisa Tamres, Box and String Trio -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Pleasing Progressions in ECD -- Margaret Bary, Brookline Country Players -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Balkan Sing and Play -- Ralph Iverson -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Intro to Contra -- Sue Gola, Zachary Mills -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Contras & Squares with a French Flair with Cindy Larock -- Les Bijoux Folque Orchestra -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
-- Orion Longsword, WhistlePig Morris Dancers, Seriously Sharp Rapper -- Ritual Dance (Outside Trade Center) (50 min.)
Sea Chanteys - How Were They Used? -- Chris Koldewey -- Seminar (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Hootenanny Singalong -- Jason Baker -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Bluegrass Slow Jam - All Are Welcome -- Jay Johnson -- Trade Center Tent (50 min.)
Tribute to Tony Parkes -- Various Callers, Calliope -- Trade Center West (80 min.)
Klezmer Jam -- Klezmer Jam Band -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

11:30am

Nyckelharpa or not? -- lydia ievins -- Southborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

12:00noon

Learn Rørospols! (Norwegian Cpl Dance) -- Tom Roby, Laura Stern, Rorosvenner -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (35 min.)
Dance Performances -- Boston Scottish Country Dancers; Samburis -- Lithuanian Folk Dance Group of Boston; Germantown Country Dancers; Simran Kaur; Bolly Beatzz by Priya; Country Dance Society, Boston Centre -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Irish Slow Session -- Tabbies' Delight -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Intro to Quebecois Step Dancing -- Cindy Larock, Deux Bijoux -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Family Barn Dance -- Alex Cumming -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
-- Marlboro Morris M, Mystic Garland Dancers -- Ritual Dance (Outside Trade Center) (50 min.)
Springtime Tunes- Flute, Feet, Piano -- Confluence -- Seminar (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Folk Song Sing Along -- Howie Rashba, Mel Green -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Open Drum Circle -- Dave Curry -- Trade Center Tent (50 min.)
In the 'Made Up Here Lately' Tradition -- David Diamond -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

12:30pm

Contemporary Folk with Traditional Roots -- David Coller, Diane Chodkowski -- Southborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
There and Back Again Contras -- Hannah Chamberlain; Casey Murray, Molly Tucker, and Sam Zakon-Anderson -- Trade Center West (50 min.)

12:45pm

Roros Norway Dance Party -- Rorosvenner -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (35 min.)

1:00pm

Balkan Dances to Beautiful Balkan Voices -- Jonathan Young, Sue Rose, Krasivi Perli -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Sad Songs to Smile About -- Ergo Canto -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Family Dances to International Music -- Andy Taylor-Blenis -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
-- Still River Sword, Nobska Lights -- Ritual Dance (Outside Trade Center) (50 min.)
Veracruzan Flute and Son Jarocho -- Allison Espinosa -- Seminar (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Create a Mummers' Play! -- Betty Lehrman -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Sea Chanteys and Songs of the Sea -- Three Sheets to the Wind -- Trade Center Tent (50 min.)
Melodic Clawhammer Banjo Workshop -- Ken Perlman -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

1:30pm

Gallopade! (Lively Set Dances) -- Susan de Guardiola, Calliope -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (50 min.)
McQuillen Tune Slow Jam -- Chris Carpenter, Dave Miller -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Honky Tonk Singalong -- Planet Banjo -- Sterling (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Contra Medley -- Live Wire -- Trade Center West (20 min.)

2:00pm

Polish Folk Show -- White Eagle Folk Dance Academy -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
You Can Take the Girl out of Gloucester... -- Olivia Gale -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Intro to English Country Dance -- Val Medve, Crossover -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
-- Johnny Jump Ups, And Sometimes Y, Juggler Meadow Morris Men -- Ritual Dance (Outside Trade Center) (50 min.)
NEFFA Annual Meeting -- NEFFA Board -- Seminar (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Kids Contra Jam -- Jeff Kaufman, Lily Wise -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Chantey Sing -- Jeff Keller, Mike Gibson -- Trade Center Tent (110 min.)
Wavy Contras -- Ben Sachs-Hamilton, Zarkadelphia -- Trade Center West (50 min.)
Cajun Fiddle Workshop -- Cathy Mason -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

2:30pm

Croatian Dance Favorites -- Pajdashi -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Beatles Singalong -- Rocking Horse People -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Songs in Languages Other Than English -- Clarice Kjerulff -- Southborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
More Celtic Misery & Mayhem -- Coffin Dodgers with TB & the Infectones -- Sterling (Hotel West) (50 min.)

3:00pm

Waltz Party! -- Larry Unger & Friends -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Dancing Down the Days -- Valentine Doyle -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Family Dance -- Kristin Seibert, Kingfisher -- Marlborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
NEFFA at 80! -- NEFFA at 80 Panel -- Seminar (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Old-time Songs -- Martha Burns -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
David Kaynor Tunes & Contras -- Don Veino, Joy Factor -- Trade Center West (50 min.)
One String More Clawhammer -- Steve Bittenson -- Westborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)

3:30pm

Balkan Dance Party -- Rakiya -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Women of Folk -- Trail Mix -- Princess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Long Neck Banjo Workshop -- Jason Baker -- Southborough (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Raga Music of the East -- Satyaki Dutta, Raj Kumar Chattopadhyay -- Sterling (Hotel West) (50 min.)

4:00pm

English Favorites Dance Party -- Dereck Kalish, Linda Nelson, Mulberry Garden -- Ballroom CDE (Hotel East) (90 min.)
Concertina Repair & Maintenance -- Mike Agranoff -- Duchess (Hotel East) (50 min.)
Women's Rights and Wrongs Songs -- Deborah Goss -- Sudbury (Hotel West) (50 min.)
Festival Orchestra Contras and Sqs—Merry Go Round at 4:35! -- Ben Sachs-Hamilton, Bob Isaacs, Festival Orchestra -- Trade Center West (90 min.)
Closing Sing-Around -- Allen Hopkins -- Westborough (Hotel West) (90 min.)

4:30pm

Balkan & International Dance -- Sladka -- Ballroom AB (Hotel East) (60 min.)