SoberFest, presented by Turning Point Recovery Center.
TOUR DATES
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Bousquet Mountain 8/1/26 with Emily Burkland
THE LONELY DAYS ARE GONE + CHILDREN'S CONCERT- BROOKFIELD
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Brookfield Old Town Hall, 93 Stone Rd, Brookfield, VT 05036, Brookfield, Vermont
4pm Children’s Folk Music Concert by Ida Mae Specker, 5pm Potluck Dinner, 6-8pm Concert & Square Dance, Community old-time jam to follow led by Mark Burds
Acclaimed Vermont fiddlers Ida Mae Specker and John Specker open the afternoon with a one-hour acoustic concert from 4:00–5:00 PM.
Drawing from the rich musical traditions of early America, Ida Mae and John perform a mix of traditional fiddle tunes, songs, and original compositions that celebrate the living, evolving nature of folk music. Through storytelling, historical context, and conversation with the audience, they offer an engaging and intimate concert experience that connects Vermont's musical heritage with the present day.
Following a short break, Ida Mae leads a 45-minute community old-time jam session, open to string musicians of all ages and skill levels.
The session is informal, welcoming, and participatory, with Ida Mae guiding the group through accessible tunes at a comfortable pace while encouraging participants to learn by ear—the traditional way this music has been shared across generations. Beginners are encouraged to sit in, listen, and join when they feel ready, while more experienced players are invited to take solos, suggest favorite tunes, and help support the group sound.
Audience members who do not play an instrument are encouraged to stay, listen, clap along, or sing with the group.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
Previous events
All are welcome for a special acoustic concert with John Specker and Ida Mae Specker at the Winhall Library on Thursday, March 12th, starting at 5pm. Families welcome! Location: 2 Lower Taylor Hill Road Bondville, VT 05340 https://www.facebook.com/events/26279153421678226/?rdid=f2LghQPqcv5EVysi&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1GH3etqQtq%2F#
Yo-Yo Ma and friends present an evening of songs and stories to ask how the waters of the North — from Kwenitekw (the Connecticut River) to Supeq (the ocean) and Punkik (the Arctic North) — connect us to each other and to our past, present, and future. This special event, rooted in wisdom and inspired by a dream for the future, invites us to come together as a community and find hope for a changing planet.
We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration with Yo-Yo Ma, Jeremy Dutcher, Mali Obamsawin, and Chris Newell
Hopkins Center for the Arts, 4 East Wheelock Street, Hanover, New Hampshire
This original experience—rooted in wisdom and inspired by a dream for the future—invites us to come together as a community and find hope for a changing planet. Yo-Yo Ma and friends present an evening of songs and stories to ask how the waters of the North — from Kwenitekw (the Connecticut River) to Supeq (the ocean) and Punkik (the Arctic North) — connect us to each other and to our past, present, and future. Inspired by our region and commissioned for the reopening of the Hopkins Center. In collaboration with the Department of Native American and Indigenous Studies, Native American Program, Department of Anthropology, Department of Music, Department of Geography, Sustainability Office and Dartmouth House Communities.
We Are Water Artists: Yo-Yo Ma, Jeremy Dutcher, Mali Obomsawin '18 and Chris Newell '96 with Andri Snaer Magnason and special guests Ida Mae Specker, Lauren Stevens and Roger Paul
We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration with Yo-Yo Ma, Jeremy Dutcher, Mali Obamsawin, and Chris Newell
TBA on the Kwenitekw (Connecticut) River, Hanover, New Hampshire
Dawn performance and gathering on the Kwenitekw (Connecticut) River, details TBA
Ida Mae Specker and full band opening for Saints & Liars at Arkell Pavilion at SVAC
Southern Vermont Arts Center , 860 SVAC Drive / West Road, Manchester, Vermont
Full band concert opening for Saints & Liars at Arkell Pavilion
Ida Mae Specker and full band square dance at Weathersfield Center Meeting House
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Weathersfield Center Meeting House, 79 Center Church Rd, Weathersfield, Vermont
Full band concert and square dance with Sarah Gibson calling
Ida Mae Specker with John Specker and full band at GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
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GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance, 2150 Trumansburg Road, Trumansburg, New York
John Specker and his 6-piece band in the Dance Tent at GrassRoots Festival!
Ida Mae Specker, John Specker, along with Marc Edwards (guitar), Mowgli Giannitti (bass), Will Seeders (banjo), and Henry Clark (mandolin), headline the Green Mountain Oldtime Weekend, with all-day long workshops, solo performances, and a square dance. Presented by Cabot Arts.
