Baltimore Old Time Music Festival -Friday Night Kickoff Concerts
Tickets are on sale now for the 5th Annual Baltimore Old Time Music Festival on April 19-20, 2024 – a joyous, interactive, and inspiring celebration of the music rooted in the fiddle and banjo traditions of the region.
The sounds of the fiddle and banjo, along with ballad singing, country song, flatfoot dance, and social square dancing are sewn into the fabric of Baltimore and the surrounding communities. This music, often called Old Time, is experiencing a renaissance in Baltimore, with a community of younger players creating new takes on these old styles. The Baltimore Old Time Music Festival is at the helm of this resurgence and is a gathering for the best and the brightest performers from around the country. Now in its 5th year, the festival is moving to a new, more spacious home to accommodate the continued, expanding enthusiasm for these sounds.
The festival is hosted by the father-son musical duo of Ken & Brad Kolodner. “We’re proud of how this festival has evolved over the years and this new chapter is a thrilling development for the community,” says Brad Kolodner. “It’s shaping up to be a tremendous celebration of a wonderfully vibrant style of music. With jamming, concerts, dancing, workshops, kids programs, and more, it’s an interactive experience fun for all. Imagine a sea of fiddles, banjos, and guitars, swelling together in a chorus of joyous tunes. It’s a sight to behold.”
After four sold-out festivals, the event will move to its new home at the beautiful Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI) April 19-20, 2024 for a musical celebration fun for all ages! Concerts, hands-on workshops, square dancing, jamming, craft fair and vendor village, kids programming, and more on the gorgeous waterfront campus of the Baltimore Museum of Industry with stunning views of the Baltimore skyline.
Event Details:
The festival convenes some of the country’s brightest old time musicians, singers, and dancers to celebrate where this music exists today. Join host artists Ken & Brad Kolodner for the Baltimore Old Time Music Festival with The Onlies; Dom Flemons; Bruce Molsky; The Horsenecks; From Africa to Appalachia with Cheick Hamala Diabate, Danny Knicely, and Riley Baugus; Beatbox Dads; Becky Hill & Friends; Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves; Janine Smith; and Rachel Eddy.
The event kicks off on Friday night with a concert under the outdoor Pavillion at the BMI, followed by an all-star old time revue inside the visually engaging gallery of the museum.
The event continues on Saturday with instructional workshops in various instruments for all skill levels, along with singing, flatfoot dancing, printing-making workshops, and more. Saturday also features a FREE outdoor family day with a square dance geared towards families, a musical jam with Baltimore’s own Beat Box Dads, kids crafts from the Waldorf School, a vendor village, food vendors, and more. Concerts will take place inside the building and under the pavilion throughout the day. As the sun sets, the event builds in energy with headline sets inside the grand gallery of the BMI and an all-star band square dance under the stars.
