Berkeley Old Time Music Convention

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Berkeley Old Time Music Convention

A festival of old time music - performances, square dances, workshops, stuff for kids, film, and the illustrious stringband contest.

03/27/2026

BOTMC 2026
Save the Dates! September 16-20 2026

First Artist Reveal!

Kicking off the festival with an Opening Square Dance Party
WEDS SEPT 16 2026 7pm-10pm
Ashkenaz Music & Dance Community Center
1317 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley

Special Guests:

Canote Brothers (Seattle)
Forty Drop Few (Portland)

Round Robin Callers: sign up to come

Forty Drop Few:
Canote Brothers:
Ashkenaz:

03/06/2026

Berkeley Old Time Music
SPRING SITUATION
Saturday March 7, 2026
1pm to 5 pm

Old Time Open House - FREE
Berkeley Public Library (Central)
2090 Kittridge St. Berkeley

CONCERTS
(Mystery Room 2nd Floor)

1:00pm-1:30pm
Sophia Sparks & Jayna Manning Bluegrass

1:45pm-2:15pm
Suzy Thompson - Women in the Blues

2:30pm-3:00pm
Leah Wollenberg & Jeremy Reinhard

3:15pm-3:45pm
Zele - Balkan

4:00pm-5:00pm
Stairwell Sisters Reunion

JAMS (First floor)

1:00pm Old Time Jam - Corn Likkers

2:00pm Song Circle - Katelyn Kimmons
2:00pm Teen Jam - first floor teen room

3:00pm Irish Session - Leah Wollenberg

4:00pm Open Jam

WORKSHOPS (Fifth floor)

1:00pm Duo Pizzicato and friends
Resistance & Rhythm: Songs of Women’s Struggle

2:00pm Fiddle workshop - Karen Celia Heil

3:00pm Banjo workshop Christine Willhoyte

4:00pm Open Jam

03/02/2026

This Saturday! It’s the Berkeley Old Time Music
SPRING SITUATION 🌱🌼

Saturday March 7, 2026
1pm to 5 pm:
Old Time Open House - FREE
Berkeley Public Library (Central)
2090 Kittridge St. Berkeley

CONCERTS
WORKSHOPS
JAM SESSIONS

Scroll for details ➡️

.mando

02/07/2026

Save the Date! BOTMC SPRING SITCH Saturday March 7, 1-5pm at the Berkeley Main Library - a FREE Old Time Open House. In celebration of Women’s History Month, all concerts, jams and workshops are led by female-identifying musicians in the community. Featuring a reunion concert of the STAIRWELL SISTERS - 13 years together, 13 apart! Check the schedule and join us!

schedule link in comments

.mando .foss.167

11/07/2025

Really looking forward to this great square dance and old time music festival, coming up this weekend Nov. 7-9!

09/21/2025

Last day of the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention Sunday September 21!

Here are the winners of the Stringband Contest:

Best Old Timey Bribe – Payola Playboys
Best Cutting Edge instrumentation – All Purpose String Band
Sweeter as the Years Go By – Spur Creek
Exciting New Band – we expect to see big things in the future – Todalo Shakers
Best Bribe – British Bake-Off Quality and best dressed “overall” – Chicken Ate a Chestnut
Best Honorable Mention – Keep up the good work! – Sour Flower String Band
Third Prize – Poquito de Todo
Second Prize – B Face String Band
First Prize – Rat Nest String Band

Here is what is happening today:

At Ashkenaz

11 am FAMILY DANCE with Manning Mud Stompers and caller Susan Michaels - free for everyone.

11am – 12:15pm Workshops
Fiddle – Judy Hyman
Intro to the Appalachian Dulcimer (New players) - Sarah Kate Morgan

12:30pm – 1:45pm Workshops
Dulcimer - Songs & Tunes of Eastern Kentucky (intermediate level) – Sarah Kate Morgan
Banjo – Clarke Buehling (Ozark Highballers)

See below for workshop details:

Afternoon at Ohlone Park, near Sacramento & Delaware (across from North Berkeley BART). Bring a chair if you can.
2pm-5pm— jamming and visiting
2pm-3 pm Friendly jam with Robin Fischer and Rowan McCallister

WORKSHOP DETAILS
There is NO PRE-REGISTRATION for workshops this year. You are welcome to arrive up to 30 minutes before start time. Sliding scale - pay what you can - nobody turned away for lack of funds. Cash is preferred. If you wish to pay via credit card, please come at least 20 minutes before start time, to allow time for processing. Suggested donation: $25 per workshop. If you can pay more, that will help offset those folks who can’t afford the full fee.

All material will be taught by ear. Audio and video recordings are encouraged with the caveat that such recordings are made for personal use only, and do not appear on anywhere on the Internet, including social media such as Facebook or YouTube.

09/20/2025

Contest is going strong! BOTMC!

09/20/2025

The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention continues today Saturday September 20 with even more activities!

All daytime activities are free.

At the Berkeley Public Library, main branch
10am - 10:45am Family Concert with WB Reid & Bonne Zahnow 4th floor
10:30 – 11:30 am Black Old Time Musicians Panel: Jake Blount (moderator), Dr. Angela Wellman, Darcy Ford-James, Patrice Strahan - in the Mystery Room, 2nd floor
NOON The String Band Contest! In the Mystery Room, 2nd floor
2-3 pm Hosted Jam on the 1st floor – Darcy Ford James & Hannah Mayree

4:00 Two hosted jams, next door to each other!
La Pena (in front) moderate tempo jam hosted by Judy Hyman
Starry Plough (inside) Shred Sesh led by Michelle Yu

7:00 at Ashkenaz - Square Dance Party! Doors open 7pm; dance
Bruce Molsky & Friends
Jake Blount, Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus and friends
Ozark Highballers.
Callers Susan Michaels & Connor Maguire.
Clogging lesson with Evie Ladin. 7:30pm
In the back studio:
8pm Song circle with Sarah Kate Morgan
9pm old-time jam with Harry & Cindy Liedstrand

09/19/2025

The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention continues today Friday 9/19 with lots of activities!

1-4 pm - Afternoon Jam at a private home. To get an automated reply with the location, email BOTMCAfternoonJam [at] gmail dot com.

4-5:15 - Workshops at the Freight:
Banjo - Jake Blount
Fiddle - Roy Pilgrim (Ozark Highballers)
Harmonica - Seth Shumate (Ozark Highballers)
There is no pre-registration for workshops. You are welcome to arrive up to 30 minutes before start time. Sliding scale - pay what you can - nobody turned away for lack of funds. Cash is preferred. If you wish to pay via credit card, please come at least 20 minutes before start time, to allow time for processing. Suggested donation: $25 per workshop. If you can pay more, that will help offset those folks who can’t afford the full fee.

5 pm - Jam in front of the Freight, hosted by Mark Olson & Penny Critchlow. Free!

7 pm - concert at the Freight:
Jake Blount, Judy Hyman, Jeff Claus, Joe Bass
Sarah Kate Morgan
Suzy Thompson
m.blount

09/18/2025

The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention continues today Thursday September 18 with lots of activities!

1-4 pm - Afternoon Jam at a private home. To get an automated reply with the location, email BOTMCAfternoonJam at gmail dot com

4-5:15 - Workshops at the Freight
Fiddle - Bruce Molsky
Cajun fiddle - Blake Miller
There is no pre-registration for workshops. You are welcome to arrive up to 30 minutes before start time. Sliding scale - pay what you can - nobody turned away for lack of funds. Cash is preferred. If you wish to pay via credit card, please come at least 20 minutes before start time, to allow time for processing. Suggested donation: $25 per workshop. If you can pay more, that will help offset those folks who can’t afford the full fee.

5 pm - Jam in front of the Freight, hosted by WB Reid & Bonnie Zahnow. Free.

7 pm - concert at the Freight
Bruce Molsky
Ozark Highballers
Black Banjo & Fiddle Fellows

09/17/2025

Tonight the 2025 Berkeley Old Time Music Convention kicks off at Ashkenaz with a Cajun dance, old time jam, and dance lesson!

Dance lesson 7:30 | SHOW: 8:00 | JAM: 8:30

Blake Miller
backed by the Aux Cajunals
Cajun dance lesson taught by Sarah Travis
Back studio, old time open jam hosted by the Corn Likkers

Address

Berkeley, CA
94701–94710, 94712, 94720

Website

http://www.berkeleyoldtimemusic.org/

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