Berkeley Old Time Music Convention


The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention is a five day music festival featuring a lovingly curated roster of local and national acts, with concert sets, rollicking square dances, workshops, jams and the illustrious string band contest in venues throughout Berkeley. Head to the BOTMC website for a full list of this year’s activities!

EVENING EVENTS

Wednesday, Sept 20Welcome Party and Dance at Ashkenaz
with SLO County Stumblers, Edward Poullard

Thursday, Sept 21:  Concert at Freight & Salvage
with Sheila Kay Adams, Slate Mountain Ramblers, Nokosee Fields Trio

Friday, Sept 22:  Concert at Freight & Salvage
with Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms, Hubby Jenkins & Jackson Lynch, Plaid Strangers

Saturday, Sept 23:  Square Dance Party at Ashkenaz
with Slate Mountain Ramblers, Nokosee Fields Trio, Squirrelly Stringband

BOTMC 4-Day Passes available for $90 (plus fees)

WORKSHOPS AT FREIGHT & SALVAGE

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 at 3:00PM

Crankie Making Workshop Day One

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 at 4:30PM

Banjo with Hubby Jenkins

Fiddle with Jackson Lynch

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 at 3:00PM

Crankie Making Workshop Day Two

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 at 4:30PM

Banjo with Instructor TBD

Cajun Fiddle with Edward Poullard

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 at 11AM

Banjo with Ivy Sheppard

Duet Singing with Caleb Klauder and Reeb Willms

Fiddle with Richard Bowman

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24 at 12:30PM

Ballad Singing with Sheila Kay Adams

Banjo with Reed Stutz

Fiddle with Nokosee Fields

View All Workshops

Berkeley Old Time Music Convention
Anti-Racism Statement


As appreciators and torch bearers of early American traditional music, the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention actively questions what it means to share this music in the context of systemic racism. We wish to acknowledge the immense contribution of Black and Indigenous musicians to the music presented by the BOTMC, in the past and in the present.  We acknowledge the forces that have historically denied these contributions and that worked to sever their living connections to this music. We also acknowledge our own complicity in this oppression. As we play this music, we are reckoning with our history and present condition. We hope to build a road toward reparation.

Adapted (with permission) from the Plaid Strangers (Thomas Angell, Maxine Gerber, Karen Heil and Allegra Yellin)