Gathering at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park on the banks of the beautiful Suwannee River in White Springs, Florida for our annual Dulcimer Retreat since 2002
November 8-9, 2024
Watch this space for details, but here’s a hint:
Bing, Butch, and Guy…and more!
The 2023 Stephen Foster Retreat
It was a great gathering of dulcimer friends…old and new! Sure has been a while – with 2020 and 2021 cancelled and then 2022 blown away with Hurricane Nicole, we came back in full swing! Many thanks to all who participated this year.
Director Bing Futch, Jessica Comeau, and Co-Director Laurie Alsobrook led workshops for the mountain dulcimer while Tina Bergmann and Sally anchored the hammered dulcimer workshops. The classes were meaningful, the jams were fun, and the concerts were exceptional! The best part of all? Being with others!!!
As a part of his Dulcimerica series, Bing Futch put together two excellent videos that really give the feel of being there…ENJOY!
2022 Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat
UPDATE 11.09.22, 11:45am – SFDR ’22/T.S.NICOLE UPDATE – The Director of Florida Division of Recreation and Parks has closed ALL state parks in Florida. Sadly, this results in the cancellation of the Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat. The leadership at the park will be contacting all preregistered participants shortly.
Bing Futch Takes the Helm for 2022
Bing follows a line of very talented directors of the retreat. While director of the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Jon Kay, a Folklorist and gifted dulcimer player, founded the retreat around 2000, and started the tradition of bringing in nationally recognized artists. After Jon moved to a new post, David Beede took the helm, offering with his unique wit and musicianship to the position.
The festival has enjoyed both mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer instruction, and in early years, autoharp instruction. Over the years, SFDR has been host to fine instructors, including Jon Kay, David Beede, as well as Bing Futch, Dan Landrum, Aaron O’Rourke, Guy and Sharrie George, Brian Bowers, Neal Hellman, Anne Lough, Susan Boyer-Haley, Jody Marshall, Lorinda Jones, Jessica Commeau, Butch Ross, Karen Alley, Stephen Humphries, Carol Crocker, Karen Ally, Marsha Harris, Gary Sager, Laurie Alsobrook, Gailanne Amundsen, Sally Anderson, Maddie MacNeill…and the list continues!
SFDR continued online in 2020 and 2021 as “Dulcimers Do Digital,” drawing instructors from across the country and participants from as far as Australia, Northern Ireland and Belgium, with David Beede and Laurie Alsobrook as co-directors.
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Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat 