After seven years of silence one of Prescott’s most beloved musical traditions is returning to the historic grounds of the Sharlot Hall Museum. The 42nd Folk Music Festival will once again bring musicians, families and longtime supporters together for two events celebrating songs, stories and shared experiences that have shaped folk music in Arizona.
The celebration begins on Friday October 2 with an intimate concert by the nationally acclaimed Folk Legacy Trio. It continues on Saturday with a full day of live performances, workshops, cultural activities and informal music-making across the museum campus.
For the museum’s Executive Director and Acting Curator Dr. Stuart Rosebrook, the festival’s return is more than the revival of an annual event. It’s part of a broader effort to reinforce the museum’s role as a community center for history, education, art and culture.
The festival has been on hiatus since 2020. Like many museums and nonprofit organizations, Sharlot Hall Museum had to rebuild its programming and capacity following the pandemic. Rosebrook said the museum needed the staff, resources and partnerships necessary to bring the festival back in the right way.
The decision was also driven by years of community interest. Since becoming executive director in July 2024 Rosebrook has repeatedly heard people ask when the Folk Music Festival would return.
Rosebrook says that Prescott’s event helped inspire other festivals across Arizona. Its success showed that a community gathering centered on traditional, acoustic and contemporary folk music could thrive in the state.
“You have to really celebrate the foundation of your community, who you’ve been and how you serve your community,” Rosebrook said. He views the festival as one of the programs that helped define the museum for generations.
The Folk Legacy Trio
The Folk Legacy Trio will perform its celebrated show This Land Is Your Land in the Sharlot Hall Museum Education Building. The nationally acclaimed trio brings together George Grove, Rick Dougherty and Jerry Siggins, three performers with deep connections to the American folk tradition. Their show celebrates the folk revival from the 1950s through the mid-’70s, when songs of social change, travel, love, community and national identity became part of the American popular songbook.
For a more intimate experience than the outdoor festival, every ticket includes a meet-and-greet with the musicians before the performance, along with light refreshments. Guests will have an opportunity to visit with the trio and celebrate the music that continues to connect generations of listeners.
General admission is $50, with VIP seats at $60. Seating is extremely limited, and advance reservations are encouraged. Tickets are available through the Sharlot Hall Museum website. The opening concert is sponsored by AMAZ Entertainment.
Saturday
The main festival returns Saturday, October 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Museum gates open at 9 for the all-day festival, with a special opening ceremony at 9:30 and performances beginning at 10am.
More than 50 musical acts will perform across four stages around the museum grounds. Rather than present one continuous concert from a single stage, the festival will invite visitors to move through the campus and discover different performers, musical traditions and activities throughout the day.
Scheduled performers include MacDougal Street West, Po’ Lazarus, D-Squared, Gail Steiger and Amy Hale, The Titanic Orchestra, Cimarron Sidekicks, Angela Carissa and Drew Hall, and Nancy Elliott.
Performers will rotate between stages in shorter sets for a constantly changing program. Visitors may follow a favorite act, move from stage to stage or settle in one location to enjoy the variety of artists passing through.
The experience extends beyond formal performances. Rosebrook said the festival will include workshops, songwriting activities, cultural music and dance, and a special children’s area. Visitors may also encounter musicians playing together informally on the grounds in the spontaneous, communal atmosphere that has long been part of folk gatherings.
“You can wander from stage to stage,” Rosebrook said. “You can go to one of the workshops. You can go listen to musicians just spontaneously playing together, and it’s got that folky feel.”
Food trucks will be available on the west side of the museum campus, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs. The museum’s historic buildings and exhibits will remain open during the festival, allowing visitors to explore Arizona history between performances.
Saturday admission is $15 and will be sold only at the gate on the day. Museum members and children age nine and younger will be admitted free. Unlike Friday’s Folk Legacy Trio concert, Saturday festival tickets are not available in advance.
Festival events will take place at the Sharlot Hall Museum, 415 W. Gurley Street. Additional information and Friday concert tickets are available at sharlothallmuseum.org/folk-musicfestival.
