FROM IDA MAE SPECKER & SARAH GIBSON:
‘THE LONELY DAYS ARE GONE’
STATEWIDE SQUARE DANCE TOUR
This fall, ‘The Lonely Days Are Gone: Community Square Dance Tour’ brings free concerts and square dances to historic town halls across Vermont.
Inspired by the state's long tradition of contra and square dancing, the tour welcomes neighbors of all ages to connect through live music, participatory dancing, and shared meals. The tour is headlined by Dorset fiddler, singer, and educator Ida Mae Specker, alongside Shrewsbury caller Sarah Gibson and The Ida Mae Specker Band.
The Lonely Days Are Gone visits Brandon, Brookfield, Hardwick, Ferrisburgh, and Chester throughout September and October. Participants will learn the basics of square dancing before an evening of traditional American string band music and dancing with Ida Mae Specker and her all-star band.
No prior dance experience or partner is required.
In addition to dances, tour stops include special events such as concerts for children and old-time music jams. All events are free and open to the public, and families are encouraged to attend.
The tour is part of the nationwide commemoration of America's 250th anniversary, highlighting the important role that music, dance, and town halls have played in civic life throughout New England.
The Lonely Days Are Gone Tour is supported by the Vermont Humanities Council, the New England Folk Festival Association and generous individual donors. The tour is fiscally sponsored by The Chandler Music Hall in Randolph, Vermont.
Tour Dates
Sunday, September 20
Brandon Town Hall, Brandon
4-6pm Concert & Square Dance
Community old-time jam to follow at Red Clover Ale
Saturday, October 3
Brookfield Meeting House, Brookfield
4pm Children’s Folk Music Concert by Ida Mae Specker
5pm Potluck Dinner
6-8pm Concert & Square Dance
Community old-time jam to follow
Saturday, October 10
Hardwick Town House, Hardwick
5pm Concert
6-7pm Square Dance
Community old-time jam to follow
Sunday, October 18
Ferrisburgh Union Meeting House, Ferrisburgh
4pm Concert
4:30-6:30pm Square & Contra Dance
*with guest caller Will Mentor joining Sarah Gibson
Saturday, October 24
Chester Town Hall, Chester
5-7pm Concert & Square Dance
*with guest caller Sally Newton joining Sarah Gibson
ABOUT SARAH GIBSON & IDA MAE SPECKER:
Ida Mae Specker is an old-time fiddler, vocalist, songwriter, educator and radio host from southern Vermont. Blending original compositions with contemporary and traditional material, she brings heartfelt new life and relevance to the living chain of American folk music.
Alongside her father, legendary Vermont fiddler John Specker, Ida Mae performs a singular take on old-time music—anchored in tradition yet audacious in originality. The late Vermont Public radio host Robert Resnik has called the Specker family “Vermont Folk Heroes.”
In 2025, Specker began a collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and others to explore our connections to community and nature in New England.
Sarah Gibson is a musician, square dance caller, and journalist from Rutland County. She grew up performing world folk music with the Vermont-based Village Harmony and Northern Harmony. She has studied old time music, banjo, and dance traditions in Kentucky and North Carolina, and she is currently a Vermont Traditional Arts Apprentice with the Vermont Folklife Center. She specializes in calling family-friendly gender-free dances that incorporate traditions from the Southern Appalachians and New England.