August 15th – 17th, 2025

Join the team – 2022 opportunities

The Georgian Bay Folk Society is seeking applicants to fill two volunteer roles for the Summerfolk Music & Crafts Festival! Read on for descriptions of the roles and to submit an […]

Sun Times Article #12: Prepare for the magic

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan When I […]

Sun Times Article #11: From unexpected places…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Two years […]

Sun Times Article #10: A songwriter’s story

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Last year, […]

Sun Times Article #9: Road to Summerfolk

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I played […]

Sun Times Article #8: Memories and magic

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan The only […]

Sun Times Article #7: West Coast road trips

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There has […]

Sun Times Article #6: Mashing it up!

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan This is […]

Sun Times Article #5: William Prince

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Peguis First […]

Sun Times Article #4: Garnet Rogers

There was a great gig that used to happen in Ohio at a place called the Wildcat Ranch. The concerts there were magical. The venue was the hayloft in a […]

Sun Times Article #3: Vildá

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan In what […]

Sun Times Article #2: The Once

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]

Sun Times Article #1: A year-round effort

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival At Summerfolk, we’re a little […]

Sun Times Article 12: Two’s company

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan One of […]

Sun Times Article 9: Family Fun

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]

Sun Times Article 8: A world of talent

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There is […]

Sun Times Article 10: Mix-match and magic…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I have […]

Sun Times Article 6: Soul Run

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan If you […]

Sun Times Article 5: Unbound Creativity

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I was […]

Sun Times Article 4: Music of Childhood

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan We didn’t […]

Sun Times Article 3: From Cuba to Canada

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan To make […]

Sun Times Article 2: Irish roots

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Surprise! I’m […]

Sun Times Article 1: Waiting for Summerfolk…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There are […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 38

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 37

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 32

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 28

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 27

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 026

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 24

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots Ep 023

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in Grey and […]

Georgian Bay Roots 13

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in […]

Georgian Bay Roots 12

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in […]

Georgian Bay Roots 11

Georgian Bay Roots With your host Jon Farmer Every Sunday on CFOS 560 from 4-5pm, Georgian Bay Roots shares some of the best music that’s made in and played in […]

Honestly Unforgettable Performers

By James Keelaghan Sometimes an artist owns a song. Chances are they didn’t write it, but it’s their voice that you hear when you imagine the song being sung. Judy […]

Where the music happens

By James Keelaghan When you talk about folk festivals, music is essential, but really it’s all about the space. In 1992, I played the Tønder Festival in Denmark for the […]

Wanted: Artistic Director’s Assistant

JOB POSTING The Georgian Bay Folk Society (GBFS) is seeking applications for the position of Artistic Director’s Assistant. Applicants must be students returning to full time studies in the fall […]

Summerfolk40 President’s Message

Presidents Message on the Anniversary Bash Summerfolk 40 Summerfolk 40 and the Anniversary Birthday Bash certainly exceeded all expectations in every sense of the word. It was a special weekend […]

The View From Stage Right

By David Newland The other day, my teenage daughter confronted me: “Dad, why are you still wearing that t-shirt? It’s ten years old!” I looked down, stunned. “What?! This is […]

Fruitful artists have roots in tradition

By James Keelaghan Several years ago, I was teaching at a music camp in New Jersey. I had a group of about 16 songwriters as students. On the first night […]

Q & A with the Wareham Forge

The Artisan Village puts the ‘Craft’ into the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival.  Recently, we asked Darrell Markewitz of the Wareham Forge about his over 20 years of Summerfolk experience. […]

Building on Musical Mentors

By James Keelaghan In April this year, I lost a good friend. Ron Casat had been one of my earliest mentors. He taught me pretty well everything I know about […]

Trout Fishing in America

By James Keelaghan Nineteen eighty-eight was the first year I played Summerfolk with my own band. The festival, as usual, supplied rooms to out of town performers. Our rooms were […]

In the Spirit of Camping

If we were going to explain the spirit of Summerfolk in one sentence it would look something like this: “People gathering outside to share music and art”.  Visitors find folks […]

General Information 2015

GATES OPEN: Thursday ~ 7pm – music from 8 – 11pm Friday ~ 4:30 pm – music from 6pm – 1 am Saturday ~ 10:30 am – music from 11:00am […]