NERFA

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NERFA (Northeast Regional Folk Alliance) is a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance Intl, a nonprofit o Join us as we forge the future of folk.

NERFA is a non-profit organization that seeks to nurture, engage and empower the folk music community in the North East; from Toronto to the Maritimes, and down to Washington D.C.

09/30/2026

Post-conference celebration at Caffè Lena - free to NERFA attendees!

On Sunday November 15th, immediately following the conclusion of the NERFA 2026 conference, Caffè Lena is inviting everyone up the road for an afternoon show at the historic venue! Come decompress from the weekend in their listening room and experience what has made Caffe Lena one of the most prominent folk venues in the Northeast for more than 60 years.

This show will feature sets from Great Aunt, Carolyn Shapiro and sweet petunia 🪕.

NERFA attendees get free entry, but space is limited. Registered NERFA Conference attendees were sent a code and a link for their free registration for the event.

09/24/2026

For those planning on arriving to NERFA 2026 on Wednesday November 11th, NERFA in partnership with The 8th Step will host a free Community Sing, led by touring folk singer, songwriter, Folk DJ Hall of Fame radio host and community sing leader Matt Watroba. This special evening will begin at 7pm and will be held at the Desmond Hotel in Albany. The event is free and will also be open to members and friends of the 8th Step.

Matt has been leading Community Sings for several years. As he notes on his website, Community Sings are “dedicated to inspiring and facilitating a tradition of singing in communities and neighborhoods across North America and beyond. The simple act of regularly gathering groups of singers—of all levels—to share songs, is a powerful and even transformational act which, when done properly, will heal your body and feed your soul.” We having Matt lead us in song will be a perfect way to begin our conference!

NERFA is honored to be working with the 8th Step to host this evening. The 8th Step will be starting their own monthly series of sings in Schenectady. Founded in 1967, The 8th Step is America’s oldest, continuously running non-profit coffeehouse & concert stage - bringing the finest independent acoustic music to Upstate New York, Western Massachusetts and lower Vermont.

We are also planning a post-conference gathering at another historic area folk venue, keep watch for more details!

Your NERFA Team

www.nerfaconference.org

08/18/2026

Call for Mentors!

Do you have experience and knowledge that you think others will benefit from? Are you willing to give a little of your time, before the conference or during? Then NERFA wants to hear from YOU!

If you answered yes to the above questions and want to volunteer to be a mentor, please email Catherine Miles at [email protected].

At this year’s NERFA, on-site mentoring will take place on ONE DAY of the conference only... Friday the 13th. 😱

Additionally, this year we will be hosting 3 separate Pre-Conference Zoom sessions. These Zoom sessions will take place on September 16 from 7-9pm, on October 7 from 7-9pm, and on November 4 from 7-9pm.

Thank you!

07/01/2026

Hello, prospective Private Showcase hosts! The HOST application is now open, so start your engines!

If you’re considering hosting a room, we recommend getting your request in early, since we’re once again limiting Private Showcases to 20 rooms in operation each night.

Private Showcase host applications close August 1st. The list of hosts will be announced August 15th, after which the booking frenzy begins. More details later, but for now, watch this space: https://nerfaconference.org/2026-private-showcase/

Completing this form does not guarantee a Private Showcase room. Potential hosts should not begin booking artists until they receive confirmation in August.

Please feel free to contact Carolann Solebello, details below, at any time with any and all of your questions or concerns about Private Showcases!

Carolann Solebello
NERFA Private Showcase Wrangler
[email protected]

06/30/2026

Final hours of Early Bird registration! Don’t miss the deadline for the best deal, closing tonight (Tuesday) at 12:59 pm eastern. We have over 250 people all registered, great keynote and formal Showcase artists all lined up, a soon-to-be-revealed diverse array of workshops and panels planned, community meals available, and an expanded Exhibit Hall. You have a few hours remaining to lock in at the lowest price. Visit our conference website for all of the details. We look forward to seeing you in November!

06/23/2026

The judges have spoken and NERFA is proud to announce a stellar list of artists who will be taking the stage for the Formal Showcases of 2026.

Alex Radus -
Andrew Pauls -
Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell -
Ayreheart -
Black-Eyed Suzies - .eyed.suzies
Carolyn Shapiro -
Dave Gunning -
Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn -
Hayley Reardon -
Jane & Kyle -
Kirsten Maxwell -
Ray Bonneville -
Redd & The Paper Flowers -
Rev. Robert B. Jones
Robert Thomas & the sessionmen -
The Refugees -

The alternates:
Front Porch Project
Great Aunt -
Mean Mary -
Tina Ross -

Congratulations to each selected act, and we look forward to hearing you in November!

We received over 170 submissions, and are grateful for each one. We also extend our deepest appreciation for the time and dedication of the judges who listened to all of them.

In July, we will be opening the process for the Presenter’s Showcase, our new Performance Alley, and private showcases. All of the details for how artists can apply are coming soon.

REMINDER: Early Bird Registration ends at 11:59 PM Eastern on June 30. Rates will go up on July 1.

06/19/2026

Calling Presenters and DJs!

If you book a venue (includes house concerts, festivals, or regular series) or are a Folk DJ, we would love to have you showcase an artist you think our community would love. The 2026 NERFA PRESENTERS SHOWCASE will be held Thursday November 12, 2026 from 6:45 to 10:15pm at the Desmond Crowne Plaza in Albany, New York.

The selected Presenters will introduce artists/groups that will be considered “new” to the community, meaning they have only released one or two albums, never had a Formal Showcase at NERFA before, and are not yet well known in our area.

Filling out this form does not guarantee you a spot in the showcase. We are accepting applications for presenters only until July 5th. You will then be contacted by Cheryl Prashker or Ron Olesko and you will be given further criteria for the artists you can present. We can supply lists of eligible artists, but you can also invite an artist that represents your show or venue. PLEASE DO NOT ASK ARTISTS UNTIL WE CONFIRM THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CHOSEN. Likewise, artists should NOT approach presenters for slots in this showcase!

Our Presenters will be a cross section of DJs and Venues that represent the diverse localities and stages of our region.

Selected presenters and selected artists must be registered for the conference. Final artist lineup will be approved by the NERFA Conference Chairpeople.

More details will be announced in July.

Put in your application today! Submissions close on July 5.

ONLY PRESENTERS SHOULD FILL OUT THIS FORM - THIS IS NOT MEANT FOR ARTISTS TO APPLY.

And don’t forget: Early Bird conference registration ends on June 30.

We look forward to hearing from you! Check out the Conference registration link in our bio for both this form and general registration.

Address

1153 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, PA
19147

Website

http://nerfa.org/

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