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".
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:
As of the date of
publication, the
deadline to apply for
an official showcase
at FAR-West has
passed. Information
about 2026 FAR-West
Official Showcase
applications will be
shared here once it
becomes available.
Private showcases:
Yes.
Upcoming:
2025: October 8 - 12,
2025 - 22nd Annual
Conference -
Vancouver, Washington
Usually 2nd or 3rd
weekend in October +/-
1 week
Previous locations
and dates:
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
2021: Virtual
Conference
2020: CANCELLED due
to COVID pandemic
2019: Woodland
Hills, California
2018: Woodland
Hills, California
2017: Bellevue,
Washington
2016: Bellevue,
Washington
2015: Oakland,
California
2014: Oakland,
California
2013: Irvine,
California
2012: Irvine,
California
2011: Eugene,
Oregon
2010: Santa Clara,
California
2009: Irivine,
California
2008: Mesa, Arizona
(Arizona is now
considered part of
SWRFA, not FAR-West)
2007: Vancouver,
Washington
2006: Sacramento,
California
2005: Woodland
Hills, California
2004: Woodland
Hills, California
2003: Altadena,
California at the
Coffee Gallery
Backstage
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:
October 23 - 26, 2025
- Lisle, Illinois (a
suburb of Chicago)
Usually 3rd or 4th
weekend in October
Previous locations
and dates:
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)
2021: Cancelled due
to COVID pandemic
2020: Cancelled due
to COVID pandemic
2019: October 24 -
27, 2019 - Grand
Rapids, Michigan
2018: October 25 -
28, 2018 - Grand
Rapids, Michigan
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
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 countriesare
exluded, although an
official explanation
for this has not been
issued.
Private showcases:
No.
Upcoming:
2026 dates 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:
Official showcase
submissions are for
2025 SERFA are closed.
The deadline to apply
for an official
showcase 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:
2026 dates and
location unknown
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.
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.
