Access
Film Music
Folk Alliance
International
& Regional
Conferences and
Events
Through
their
international and
regional
conferences and
other programs, Folk
Alliance
International
provides
extraordinary
opportunities for
musical artists
across the globe.
I've
said for years
"Attending the Folk
Alliance
International
Conference is the
single best
investment any
singer-songwriter
can make in their
career."
Below
is a
semi-chronological
list of events,
including all the
Folk Alliance
International and
Regional
conferences, as well
as a few other
events worthy of
your attention.
I'll
do my best to keep
this page
up-to-date, but
since so much of
this information
changes quickly, I
make no promises as
to the accuracy of
this information on
any given day. All
dates are based upon
the best information
available at the
moment of
publication and may
be subject to change
without notice.
If
you're new to the
Folk Alliance world,
or just seeking to
maximize your Folk
Alliance experience,
check out our "First-Timer
Tips &
Strategies".
NERFA
includes these
regions:
Connecticut,
Delaware, the
Disrict of
Columbia
(Washington
D.C. and its
metro area
including the
Virginia
counties of
Loudoun,
Fairfax, and
Prince
William),
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts,
New Hampshire,
New Jersey,
New York,
Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island,
and Vermont,
and the
Canadian
provinces of
New Brunswick,
Newfoundland
&
Labrador, Nova
Scotia,
Ontario,
Prince Edward
Island, and
Québec.
Official
showcases:
The
submission
deadline for
official
showcases at
NERFA 2025 was
June 23rd,
2025.
NERFA refers
to "official"
showcases as
"Formal
Showcases".
Private
showcases:
Yes.
NERFA refers
to these as
"Private
Guerrilla
Showcases"
("PGS")
Upcoming:
November 6 -
9, 2025 -
Albany, New
York
Usually 2nd
or 3rd weekend
in November,
+/- 1 week
Previous
locations and
dates:
2024:
November 20 -
24, 2024 -
Portland,
Maine
2023:
November 9 -
12, 2023 -
Asbury Park,
New Jersey
2022:
November 10 -
13, 2022 -
Asbury Park,
New Jersey
2021:
November 11 -
14, 2021 -
Virtual Online
Conference
(due to COVID)
2020:
Cancelled due
to the COVID
pandemic
2019:
November 7 -
10, 2019 -
Stamford,
Connecticut
2018:
November 8 -
11, 2018 -
Stamford,
Connecticut
2017:
November 9 -
12, 2017 -
Stamford,
Connecticut
2016:
November 10 -
13, 2016 -
Stamford,
Connecticut
2015:
November 12 -
15, 2015 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2014:
November 13 -
16, 2014 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2014: April
5, 2014 -
NERFA One-Day
Mini-Conference
- Chatham, New
Jersey
2013:
November 7 -
10, 2013 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2012:
November 8 -
11, 2012 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2011:
November 10 -
13, 2011 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2010:
November 11 -
14, 2010 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
2009:
November 13 -
16, 2009 -
Kerhonkson,
New York
Nordic
Folk Alliance
includes these
regions:
Denmark,
Finland,
Iceland, Norway
and Sweden.
Official
showcases:
Applications
for 2026
official
showcases:
Submission
dates unknown
Typically,
official
showcase
applicaitons
open in Autumn
and close by
mid-Winter.
As of this
year, official
showcase
applications
were only open
to artists
from: Norway,
Sweden,
Denmark,
Iceland and
Finland.
Artists from
Estonia and
other nearby
countries are
excluded,
although an
official
explanation
for this has
not been
issued.
Private
showcases: No.
Upcoming:
2026 dates
and location
not yet known
Nordic Folk
Alliance has
usually taken
place in
Spring (April
or May),
though rumours
suggest the
event may move
to the autumn.
SERFA
includes these
regions:
Alabama,
Arkansas,
Florida,
Georgia,
Kentucky,
Louisiana,
Mississippi,
North Carolina,
South Carolina,
Tennessee,
Virginia, and
West Virginia.
Official
showcases:
The deadline
to apply for
an official
showcase at
SERFA 2025 was
February
25, 2025.
The SERFA.org
website said
that
applicants
will be
notified by
March 5, 2025
with an
official
announcement
to be made
soon after -
around April
1st.
Private
showcases:
Yes. Visit the
SERFA website for details.
Upcoming:
May 28 - 31,
2026 in
Owensboro,
Kentucky
Usually 2nd
or 3rd weekend
in May +/- 1
week
Previous
locations and
dates:
Owensboro,
Kentucky - May
15 - 18, 2025
Black
Mountain,
North Carolina
- May 9 - 12,
2024
Black
Mountain,
North Carolina
- May 4 - 7,
2023
Black
Mountain,
North Carolina
- May 12 - 15,
2022
FARM
includes these
regions:
Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
Nebraska, North
Dakota, Ohio,
South Dakota,
and Wisconsin
and the Canadian
provinces of
Manitoba,
Nunavut, and
Saskatchewan.
Official
showcases: No.
Private
showcases:
Yes.
According to
the website,
private
showcase
submissions
for FARMette
2025 opened on
February 15,
2025. There is
no posted
information
about when
submissions
will close.
FAR-West
includes these
regions:
Alaska,
California,
Hawai'i,
Idaho,
Montana,
Nevada,
Oregon, Utah,
Washington,
and Wyoming.
FAR-West also
includes the
following
Canadian
provinces and
territories:
Alberta,
British
Columbia,
Northwest
Territories,
and Yukon
Territory.
Official
showcases:
Information
about 2026
FAR-West
Official
Showcase
applications
will be shared
here once it
becomes
available.
Private
showcases:
Yes.
Upcoming:
2026 FAR-West
dates and
location
unknown
Usually 2nd
or 3rd weekend
in October +/-
1 week
Previous
locations and
dates:
2025: October
8 - 12, 2025 -
22nd Annual
Conference -
Vancouver,
Washington
2024: 21st
Annual
Conference:
October 16 -
20, 2024 – San
Jose,
California
2023: 20th
Annual
Conference:
October 12 -
15, 2023 –
Woodland
Hills,
California
2022:
CANCELLED:
19th Annual
Conference:
October 13 -
16, 2022
FARM includes
these regions:
Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas,
Michigan,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
Nebraska,
North Dakota,
Ohio, South
Dakota, and
Wisconsin and
the Canadian
provinces of
Manitoba,
Nunavut, and
Saskatchewan.
Official
showcases:
The deadline
to apply for
an official
showcase for
the 2025 FARM
Gathering has
passed and the
Official
Showcase
artists and
Alternates
have already
been
announced.
Check this
link to see
the list of
showcasing
artists: Farmfolk.org/general-conference-info/official/
Official
showcase
applications
for the 2025
FARM Gathering
opened on
March 17, 2025
and closed on
June 2, 2025.
Once the 2026
showcase
application
dates have
been
announced,
we'll post
them here.
For 2025, the
cost to submit
an application
for an
Official
Showcase at
the FARM
Gathering was
$25.
Private
showcases:
Yes.
Upcoming:
2026 dates
and location
unknown
Usually 3rd
or 4th weekend
in October
Previous
locations and
dates:
2025: October
23 - 26, 2025
- Lisle,
Illinois (a
suburb of
Chicago)
2024: October
24 - 27, 2024
- Lisle /
Naperville,
Illinois USA
(suburban
Chicago)
2023: October
19 - 22, 2023
- Lisle /
Naperville,
Illinois USA
(suburban
Chicago)
2022: October
20 - 23, 2022
- Lisle /
Naperville,
Illinois USA
(suburban
Chicago)
It does not
appear that
Folk Alliance
Australia
offers
Official
Showcases, nor
do they host a
conference. It
appears their
primary event
is the: Australian Folk Music Awards
Folk Alliance
Australia does
not seem to be
affiliated
with USA-based
Folk Alliance
International
in any way.
According to
their website,
Folk Alliance
Australia is
the peak
national body
representing
folk cultural
activity and
the folk music
industry of
Australia. We
are a
membership
organisation
that provides
information,
resource,
networking,
showcase and
professional
development
opportunities
for the
Australian
folk
community.
Folk Alliance
Australia is
an
incorporated
not-for-profit
association,
with a
volunteer
board of
management.
Their
aim is to:
Provide a
forum for folk
activity
practitioners
and organisers
that
encourages
networking,
information
sharing,
fellowship,
training and
support
Lobby on
behalf of folk
activity
practitioners
and organisers
to represent
them in any
forum that
affects the
operation and
future of folk
activity at a
national level
Promote
Australian
folk
activities to
overseas and
domestic
markets
Provide
resources to
aid the
development
and
improvement of
folk
activities in
Australia
Present
awards, Forums
and projects
that support
these aims
Central to the
mission of Access Film
Music LLC, we believe
that film festivals
can be one of the most
valuable opportunities
for singer-songwriters
and bands. And they're
EVERYWHERE! For a list
of Film Festivals,
please visit AccessAbundance.net.
All information on
this page is provided
with best efforts to
ensure accuracy of the
information provided.
No warranty is express
or implied and no
liability exists for
the author due to
errors, omissions or
changed information.
Users should and must
verify all information
provided using the
supplied links and
other resources.
