Albuquerque Folk Festival Logo

2024 Schedule

The Albuquerque Folk Festival will run from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Sunday, September 29, 2024, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth St SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102).

If you want an overview of the schedule, download the complete 2024 Schedule as a PDF file. Also, if you'd like a preview, you can download our 2024 Program Booklet as a PDF.

Sunday, September 29

  • 8:00 AM - Instrument Checkroom available in the Education Building
  • 9:45 AM - Performances begin in the Welcome Tent near the NHCC Welcome Center
  • 10:00 AM - Gates open
  • 10:00 AM - Performances begin at the Courtyard Stage
    • - Arts and craft vendors and food vendors open
    • - Ballet Folklórico dance workshop begins in the Journal Theatre
    • - OFFCenter puppets start walking around the Folk Festival.
    • - A Magical Welcome with Howardini (under umbrella near the Welcome Center)
    • - Instrument Petting Zoo opens
    • - Signups start for the Band Scramble
    • - Signups start at the Sign-up Stage in the Wells Fargo Auditorium
  • 10:30 AM - All other venues open
    • - Beer, wine, other beverages, and snacks available at Pop Fizz
    • - Stages, Workshops, Storytelling, Jams, Children's Tent, Sing Along
  • 2:00 PM - Performances phase in at the Albuquerque Journal Theatre
  • 3:30 PM - Deadline for Band Scramble signup
  • 4:00 PM - Instrument Petting Zoo closes
  • 4:15 PM - Band Scramble assignments and prractice locations announced
  • 4:30 PM - Band Scramble practice
    • - Instrument, singing, and kids workshops close
    • - Storytelling, Hosted Jams, and Jam with the Band close
  • 5:00 PM - Sing-along with Dan Matthews at the Courtyard Stage
  • 6:00 PM - Band Scramble at the Courtyard Stage
  • 6:30 PM - Evening International Dance with the Rumelia Collective performing and Bill Croft and friends doing some quick teaching so everyone can join in at the Ortega Salon
  • 7:30 PM - Last call to get your instruments from the instrument check room
    • - Performances conclude in the Bank of America Theatre
  • 8:00 PM - Instrument Check Room closes
    • - Pop Fizz alcohol sales end
    • - Performances conclude
    • - International Dance ends
    • - Raffle drawing (hope you bought a bunch of tickets!). Presence not required.
  • 8:00 PM - The party's over...until next year!

Quick Links:

  • Perfomance Stages

    Many great performers are scheduled on five stages from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

    New this year: Friday night performances at the Albuquerque Journal Theatre from 6 PM to 9 PM.

    Back this year: Several performers are performing more than once, so you'll have more choice balancing all the other things there are to do at the Festival.

    We're staggering the schedule of the stages to allow even more flexibility in planning your day. Now you can catch performances that might otherwise coincide.

  • Sign-up Stage

    The Signup Stage in the Wells Fargo Auditorium will have performances from 3:30 AM to 6:00 PM, with new performers every 30 minutes. Signups begin at 10:30 AM

  • Dance Program

    Get moving with multicultural dance workshops in two venues: in the Albuquerque Journal Theatre from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and in the Salon Ortega from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM  Also join in the Contra Dance at 6:30 PM. Also join in the International Dance at 6:30 PM.

  • Jam With The Band!

    Here’s your chance to play along with some of the best local, regional, and national bands. Grab some food or beverages, sit at the tables just outside of Pop Fizz, and listen to the Jam with the Band featuring many of our main stage performers.

  • Hosted Jams:

    We’ll have two hosted jams: One is primarily instrumental and the other is mostly singing. At the hosted jams, hosts are there to encourage musicians to pick a song/tune or start a song and to make sure that everyone gets an opportunity to participate. In addition, hosts bring their own unique flare to the jam. Sometimes they may bring music (notes, chords, or words).

    • Band Scramble:

    Our popular Band Scramble gives musicians and dancers of all levels a chance to be a Stage Performer at the Albuquerque Folk Festival. Band participants are chosen at random and have an hour to come up with two tunes (and a band name) that they then perform on the Courtyard Stage.

  • Music Workshops:

    Four workshop venues will offer a wide variety of musical and singing instruction from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Participation is the heart of our Festival. Bring an acoustic musical instrument and/or your singing voice and join the fun.

  • Storytelling:

    Hear a wonderful tale from some of our best local storytellers from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

  • Children's Tent:

    While all our workshops are open to participants of all ages, sessions at the Children's Tent are tailored to get young kids and families started enjoying homemade music from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM.