Contra Dance Callers
Nora Scott, (509)-990-9238. Calling contras and circle dances around the Inland Northwest since 1995.
Enjoys beginning groups.
Nancy Staub, 509-868-8179, nance0200@gmail.com. Calling high energy contra dance since 2015.
Emily Faulkner (Sandpoint ID) sandpointcontra@gmail.com or 208-610-4253. Contra dance, family dance, private parties.
Penn Fix – contras, squares, community and family dances, weddings and other celebrations. jpfix3@gmail.com Penn has been calling and teaching dancing since 1981. He is a great teacher with easy to learn dances for all ages.
Contradance bands
River City Ramblers – This Spokane old-time string band features fiddler Judy Lungren, Bill Siems on mandolin, and Dawn Holladay on guitar. Lively dance music for contras, squares and just listening! Call Judy Lungren for booking: 509-209-7182 / judylungren@gmail.com.
Crooked Kilt consists of 3 solid multi-instrumentalists including vocalists who have produced 4 CD’s! They can be contacted through their website: www.crookedkilt.net and are on FB: Crooked Kilt. email: Carla.carnegie@gmail.com. Ph 509-592-7875. Instruments include: fiddle, accordion, guitar, bouzouki, piano, highland bagpipes, bodhran, djembe, and assorted hand percussion instruments, and 3-part vocals. This band has been around for some 30 yrs. and have played for numerous festivals, weddings, wakes & parties, and many Contra Dances! They play Irish, Scottish, and originals, along with their own “twist” on the traditional tunes.
Reel Friends – lively contradance music featuring Tashie Dial on accordion, Brendan Biele on guitar, and Ken Raymond on mandolin. Contact Brendan at bielebrendan@icloud.com or 509-869-5997.
Dog Paw Bi-musical family contradance band plays both kinds of music – Northern AND Southern. Members are: Sally Jablonsky-fiddler extraordinaire, Eugene Jablonsky-guitar, Liz Dreisbach-clarinet, whistle, banjo-uke. Additional family members ex tempore. Contact: liz.dreisbach@gmail.com, 509-536-1126.
Floating Crowbar-Irish Traditional Music. Contact: James Hunter 509 844-2785.
Spokane Fall Folk Festival
The Spokane Fall Folk Festival is the premier annual multicultural event in the Inland Northwest. Since 1996, the Folk Festival, sponsored by the Spokane Folklore Society, has brought music and dance from many different traditions to the November two-day event. This Festival showcases regional musical artists and performing groups who represent cultures from around the globe, and has inspired similarly-styled festivals. This festival shines because we advertise our schedules and highlight performers in advance to encourage attendance. In 2023, the festival received 3rd place in the Inlander’s Best-Of poll for the Best Arts Festival category. Spokane Folklore Society is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that fosters American and International cultures in Spokane.
For more information: https://www.spokanefolkfestival.org
Lady of the Lake Music and Dance Camps
Originally sponsored by the Spokane Folklore Society, the Lady of the Lake Music and Dance Camps offer a full week in June and a weekend in October annually at N-Sid-Sen Camp and Conference Center on the eastern shore of Couer d’Alene Lake, Idaho. The resident camps feature contra, English, and square dancing and music workshops for all ages. Staff include a mix of regional and national callers, musicians, singers, and more.
For more information: https://ladyofthelake.org
Other Regional Organizations
The Inland Northwest has a rich history of community dance and music. At the Mica Flats Grange Hall outside of Coeur d’Alene, they have been square dancing for over 125 years. More recently, a number of organizations have hosted music and dance events that are open to the public. Here is a sampling:
The Palouse Folklore Society (Moscow, Idaho).
The Sandpoint Contra Dance (Sandpoint, Idaho).
Inland Northwest Bluegrass Music Association.
Three Rivers Folklife Society (Tri-Cities, WA).
Walla Walla Friends of Acoustic Music (Walla Walla, WA).
Apple Country Contra Dancers (Yakima, WA).
Ellensburg Contra Dancers (Ellensburg, WA).