Folk Department

This author has written 61 articles
Four musicians perform together on stage, playing a violin, guitar, upright bass, and another guitar. They are closely gathered around a microphone, singing passionately. A green banner hangs in the background.

Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair, Sat May 3rd

The 28th Annual Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair is a FREE event on Saturday afternoon, May 3, 2014, outdoors on the Duck Pond Stage in San Lorenzo Park. The Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society (aka Northern California Bluegrass Society) sponsors this event, and invited five bands…

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Three people sit together outdoors playing instruments—an accordion, a mandolin, and a guitar—smiling and enjoying themselves at a market with produce stands in the background.

Seabright Stringfest April 19th

The 3rd annual Seabright Stringfest is a cavalcade of continuous acoustic music.  This FREE event features 10 bands: Earl, Adrienne, Myles (oldtime rags); The Wakerobins (Americana/oldtimey); Theo and Dave (traditional Irish); Happy Chappies (traditional world music); The Percolators (Quebecois, oldtimey…

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Four men perform on stage against a dark curtain; three are playing violins and one is playing a guitar. They appear focused and engaged with the music and each other.

Celtic Fiddle Festival Sun April 13th

Masters of traditional Celtic fiddling converge for a performance at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA  on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 7:00pm. The Celtic Fiddle Festival band features Irish fiddler Kevin Burke (Bothy Band, Patrick Street), Breton fiddler Christian Lemaitre (Kornog)…

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Five musicians posing with string instruments in an industrial setting with large machinery and arched windows. Three people stand, two sit, and all hold guitars, a violin, or a banjo.

Solas, Sun April 6th, 2pm

Acclaimed Irish-American band Solas will be presenting traditional and original Irish tunes and songs at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 2pm. This matinee show will feature the story of "Shamrock City," about a mining…

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Aerial view of a coastal campground with scattered RVs and tents near a forested area, bordered by the ocean and waves under a clear blue sky. Rolling hills and green fields stretch inland.

Año Nuevo Bluegrass Festival, March 7th-9th

The weekend-long Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival has moved 25 miles up the coast from Santa Cruz to Pescadero, CA, north of Año Nuevo State Park on Highway 1 to the Costanoa Lodge. Concerts start at 5:00pm on Friday evening March…

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Five men pose outdoors in a mossy forest, holding musical instruments including a flute, double bass, guitar, uilleann pipes, and fiddle. They are dressed in dark, casual clothing and stand or sit among rocks and trees.

Lúnasa, Mon Feb 24th

Lúnasa, one of the outstanding traditional bands from Ireland,  will be performing at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Monday, February 24, 2014 at 7:30pm. Presented by the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay, the band includes Seán Smyth (fiddle and…

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A person wearing a brown hat and brown jacket sits outdoors holding bagpipes, with a scenic beach and hills in the background.

Carlos Núñez Band Feb. 20th

Master of the gaita (Spanish bagpipe), flute, and recorder, Galician multi-instrumentalist Carlos Núñez will be appearing with his band on Thursday, February 20, 2014, 7:30pm at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA. Carlos blends the music of his native Galicia (the Celtic…

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A close-up of a man with a white beard and mustache, smiling as he holds an acoustic guitar. The guitar’s neck and body are prominently in the foreground, partially obscuring his face.

John McCutcheon, Fri Jan 17th

John McCutcheon makes his annual visit to Santa Cruz, in a benefit concert for the Resource Center for Nonviolence in their concert hall on Friday, January 17, 2014 at 7:30pm. John is a well-regarded folk musician who is a songwriter,…

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Four men pose together in a black and white photo. One holds a violin, another holds a mandolin, and they all wear casual shirts. The background is a soft, cloudy studio backdrop.

Hillbillies from Mars, Sun Jan 5th

The Hillbillies from Mars will be landing at the Felton Community Hall for the first Sunday of the month Contra Dance sponsored by the non-profit Santa Cruz Traditional Dancers on January 5, 2014 at 7:00pm. The Hillbillies are a favorite dance band…

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An older man with gray curly hair stands on stage with a guitar, gesturing with his hands while speaking or performing. He wears a plaid shirt, tie, and vest. A microphone is positioned in front of him.

Peter Rowan Fri Dec 6th

Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Peter Rowan will be performing at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Friday evening, December 6, 2013 at 8pm. Peter has had a long history as a bluegrass performer, starting out professionally as a singer, rhythm…

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Six musicians stand outdoors in a park, smiling and holding instruments including a double bass, accordion, guitar, fiddle, and washboard, with a city skyline in the background.

The Creole Belles, Sun Nov 10th

The Creole Belles from the SF Bay Area will be playing traditional Cajun and Creole music for a matinee dance at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA starting at 2pm on Sunday, November 10, 2013. A five-piece version of the band…

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Seven smiling musicians stand outdoors with their instruments, including a harp, mandolin, drum, double bass, and violin, posing closely together against a blue sky and bare trees.

Wake the Dead, Sat Nov 2nd

The Wake the Dead band who are mostly from the SF Bay Area, blends traditional Celtic music played on acoustic instruments with the songs of the Grateful Dead. They'll be performing at Don Quixote's International Music Hall in Felton, CA on Saturday, November 2,…

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Four men stand outdoors in front of leafless trees, smiling at the camera. They wear casual button-up shirts in blue or black tones, and the background is brightly lit by the sun.

Bua, Tues Oct 1st

Bua, a band from Chicago playing Irish traditional music, will be appearing at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Tues, Oct 1, 2013 at 7:30pm. Presented by the Celtic Society of the Monterey Bay, Bua consists of four musicians playing…

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Six men stand on a tree-lined path in casual and semi-formal clothing, facing the camera. The ground is covered with leaves, and the background shows bare trees under an overcast sky.

Mànran, Wed Sep 25th

From Scotland, Mànran will be performing at Don Quixote's in Felton, CA on Wednesday, September 25, 2013 at 7:30pm. Mànran is a six-member high-energy band playing a mix of Scottish traditional and contemporary music, singing in both Gaelic and English…

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A woman in a cowboy hat and floral dress plays the violin next to a man in a vest dancing energetically on stage, surrounded by other musicians playing string instruments.

Valley of the Moon Annual Concert, Fri Aug 30th

Scottish fiddling master Alasdair Fraser hosts a week-long Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School every year, culminating with an annual concert which this year falls on Friday, Aug 30, 2013 at 8pm at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. Performances showcase the exceptional…

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Five people pose indoors on a carpeted floor, with one person sitting cross-legged at the front and the others sitting or kneeling close behind, all smiling at the camera.

Donna the Buffalo, Sun Aug 4th

From New York, Donna the Buffalo brings their energetic spin on alt-country to Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz, CA on Sunday, Aug 4, 2013 at 8:30pm. Their first studio-produced CD in five years was released less than two months ago,…

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