Welcome
Click here for a printable Festival Flyer and here for a printable Festival Handbill (two per page).
Recent updates: Last website update: May 01, 2012
- Revamped website for 2012 festival
Scenes from 2010 festival
While there are lots of dulcimer festivals in the mid/eastern part of the country, there's only a handful of festivals in the entire western United States. What is a dulcimer anyways? And why a dulcimer festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico? In 2010 when we held our inaugural festival, we wondered if anyone would come. Response the last two years has exceeded all expectations! Not only have participants come from all over NM, but also AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, IN, OK, and TX.
Our appreciation to all who made past festivals a success. With your help, the 2012 festival will be the best yet!
- If you'd like to volunteer to help with this year's festival, please contact us.
- Buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win a beautiful dulcimer quilt (festival fund raiser to help keep registration costs down).
2012 Guest Instructors
| Janita Baker | (Santa Margarita, CA) | - Mountain Dulcimer |
| Steve Eulberg | (Fort Collins, CO) | - Mountain and Hammered Dulcimer |
| Neal Hellman | (Santa Cruz, CA) | - Mountain Dulcimer |
| Ken Kolodner | (Baltimore, MD) | - Hammered Dulcimer and fiddle |
Additional Instructors
| Dain Forsythe | (Albuquerque, NM) | - Bodhrán (Irish frame drum) |
| Tina Gugeler | (Erie, CO) | - Hammered Dulcimer |
| Irma Reeder | (Albuquerque, NM) | - Mountain Dulcimer, Celtic Harp |
| Scott Reeder | (Albuquerque, NM) | - Guitar, Bowed Psaltery |
| Peggy Spofford | (Silver City, NM) | - Mountain Dulcimer |
| Gretchen Van Houten | (Bosque, NM) | - Mandolin |
| Michael VeSeart | (Albuquerque, NM) | - Ukulele |
What is the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival?
- Dulcimer Instruction
- Two days of hammered dulcimer and mountain dulcimer workshops for all skill levels
- "Never-played-before" workshops for those who want to start
- A limited number of dulcimer rentals are available to registered participants for the event
- Additional opportunities for a master class or private lesson with some of our guest instructors (for festival participants only)
- Approximately 30 Workshops Total
- In addition to dulcimer classes, workshops on other folk instruments (may be Celtic harp, bowed psaltery, bodhrán, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, ukulele, other - see workshops)
- A limited number of our workshops are offered a la carte where guests of registered participants or walk-ins can pay for specific sessions
- A la cart workshops are included for registered participants
- Loaner instruments are available at no cost for many of these workshops
- Concerts
- Friday and Saturday evening concerts by instructors (open to the public)
- Jamming
- Jamming skills workshops for both dulcimer types
- A regular jam during the day on Saturday*
- Friday and Saturday night jams at the festival site after the concerts*
- More
- Open mic opportunities
- On-site catered meals
- Dulcimer quilt raffle drawing during Saturday's concert
- Designated host hotel
*Jams are intended for festival participants and their guests. All acoustic folk instruments are welcome.
What's new for 2012?
- Four guest instructors up from three in 2011 (plus local instructors as in the past)
- Mini-concerts during the day on Saturday by guest instructors (for festival participants and their guests only)
- Acting on an idea from some 2011 post-festival surveys, a "down" time on Saturday for socializing or just relaxing
- Four meals will be catered rather than just three (adding Friday lunch)
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Hot air balloons over Albuquerque
We scheduled this year's dulcimer festival the weekend following the October 6-14, 2012, Balloon Fiesta so we might catch more of you RVers traveling through the southwest. We hope you'll stay in Albuquerque after the balloon spectacle to make some music with us. See lodging for camping options.
Click here for other Albuquerque attractions
Click here for an entertaining history of Albuquerque
Apple Mountain Music store in Albuquerque
Festival Sponsors
New Mexico Dulcimer Association
P.O. Box 11722
Albuquerque, NM 87192
(see Contact)
Apple Mountain Music
10301 Comanche NE
Albuquerque, NM 87111
505.237.2048