2026 Upcoming Events of Interest - Continually Updated

This post will be updated for events in 2026. Please let us know of any additions or corrections. The post that was being updated with events throughout 2025 has been retired and will no longer be updated.

Zoom or Hybrid Events

Many weekly or recurring events are listed on https://nfo-usa.com/virtual-events-calendar/ and https://facone.org/.  For monthly Zoom Global Folk Dance Parties see https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/ and https://www.folkdance.com/?post_type=tribe_events . Ethnic Dance Chicago's Virtual Dance Room calendar/event list is linked here:  https://www.ethnicdance.net/virtualdanceroom/2020_virtualdanceroom-index.html

Some of the live events listed below may also stream some portion of the events (often the evening parties) online, check their websites to see what's available.

Live events in the Chicago area:

Lots of ethnic and folk festivals are listed in https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/illinois-festivals/

https://navypier.org/pier-events/pier-dance/
Navy Pier Dance
Free Dance Lessons
Wednesdays in June, 2026
Chicago, IL

https://chicagolandecd.org/chicagoland-west-ecd/
Chicagoland West ECD and IFD
Sun Jun 21, 2026
Glen Ellyn,IL

https://www.goodtemplarpark.org/events/2023/6/18/113-swedish-day-9xyfp-c5bxc
Swedish Midsummer Festival
Sun Jun 21, 2026
Good Templar Park, Geneva, IL

https://genevachamber.com/events/swedish-days
Geneva Swedish Days Festival
Jun 24-28, 2026
Geneva, IL

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_summerdance.html
Chicago SummerDance
Jul-Aug, 2026
Chicago, IL

https://twowaystreet.org/cultural-connections/
Two Way Street Coffee House Nordic Jam
Thu Jul 2, 2026
Downers Grove, IL

https://www.gulyasfestival.com/
Hungarian Gulyas Festival
Jul 11-12, 2026
Norridge, IL

https://www.peruvianfest.com/
Peruvian Festival
Jul 11-12, 2026
Chicago, IL

https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/2026/01/20/2026-woodstock-folk-festival-spring-benefit-concert-upcoming/
Woodstock Folk Festival
Sun Jul 19, 2026
Woodstock, IL

https://cantigny.org/event/voyage-en-france-2026/
Voyage en France
Sun Jul 19, 2026
Cantigny Park, Wheaton, IL

https://www.pierogifest.net/
Pierogi Fest
Jul 24-27, 2026
Whiting, IN

https://ginzaholiday.com/
Ginza Holiday
Aug 7-9, 2026
Midwest Buddhist Temple
Chicago, IL

https://www.wheelinginternationalfestival.com/
Wheeling International Festival
Sun Aug 9, 2026
Wheeling, IL

https://chicagogaelicpark.com/irish-fest/
Irish Fest
Aug 21-23, 2026
Chicago Gaelic Park
Oak Forest, IL

https://www.fvfs.org/festivalinfo-1
Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival
Sep 6-7, 2026
Wheeler Park, Geneva, IL

https://scandinaviandayil.com/
Vasa Park Scandinavian Day
Sun Sep 13, 2026
South Elgin, IL

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/wmf.html
Chicago World Music Festival
Sep 25 - Oct 4, 2026
Chicago, IL

Live events elsewhere:

https://facone.org/pinewoods/pinewoods.html
FAC Pinewoods Camp International Sessions
Jun 25 - Jul 2, 2026
Plymouth, MA

https://dcff.net/
Door County Folk Festival
Jul 9-12, 2026
Sturgeon Bay, WI

https://kentuckydanceinstitute.org/
Kentucky Dance Institute Folk Dance Camp
Jul 12-18, 2026
Murray, KY

https://www.swifdi.org/
SWIFDI New Mexico Folk Dance Camp
Jul 16-19, 2026
Montezuma, NM

https://stocktonfolkdancecamp.org/summer-camp/
Stockton Summer Folk Dance Camp
Jul 19-26, Jul 26 - Aug 2, 2026
Santa Cruz, CA

https://www.mainewoodsdancecamp.org/
Mainewoods Dance Camp
Aug 16-22, Aug 23-29, 2026
Fryeburg, ME

https://facone.org/labor-day-weekend/labor-day-weekend.html
Labor Day Weekend at Pinewoods
Sep 4-8, 2026
Plymouth, MA

https://tifd.org/
Texas International Folk Dance Camp
Oct 9-12, 2026
Bruceville, TX

https://fallcamp.org/
Fall Folk Dance Camp
Oct 30 - Nov 1, 2026
Simi Valley, CA

2025 Upcoming Events You Might Be Interested In

This post will be updated for events in 2025.  Please let us know of any additions or corrections.  The posts that were being updated with events throughout 2024 have been retired and will no longer be updated.

Zoom or Hybrid Events

Many weekly or recurring events are listed on https://nfo-usa.com/virtual-events-calendar/ and https://facone.org/.  For monthly Zoom Global Folk Dance Parties see https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/ and https://www.folkdance.com/?post_type=tribe_events

https://argonneifd.blogspot.com/2025/12/new-years-day-1126-zoom-dance-1pm-not.html
Argonne IFD New Year's Day Afternoon Zoom Dance
1pm-4pm CST Jan 1, 2026
Online on Zoom

https://stocktonfolkdancecamp.org/winter-weekend/
Stockton Folk Dance Winter Weekend
Jan 30 - Feb 1, 2026
Online on Zoom

Live events in the Chicago area:

Lots of ethnic and folk festivals are listed in https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/illinois-festivals/

https://chicagolandecd.org/chicagoland-west-ecd/
Chicagoland West ECD and IFD
Sun Jan 4, 2026
Glen Ellyn,IL

https://twowaystreet.org/cultural-connections/
Two Way Street Coffee House Nordic Jam
Thu Jan 8, 2026
Downers Grove, IL

https://twowaystreet.org/cultural-connections/
Two Way Street Coffee House Nordic Dance
Sun Jan 11, 2026
Downers Grove, IL

http://www.uofcfolk.org/
University of Chicago Folk Festival
Feb 20-21, 2026
Chicago, IL

Live events elsewhere:

https://folklorevillage.org/78th-festival-of-christmas-midwinter-traditions/
Folklore Village Festival of Christmas and Midwinter Traditions
Dec 28, 2025 - Jan 1, 2026
Dodgeville, WI

https://sites.google.com/madfolkdance.org/mfdu/folk-ball-2026
Madison Folk Ball
Jan 23-25, 2026
Madison, WI

https://floridafolkdancer.org/
Florida Folk Dance Council Winter Workshop
Jan 30 - Feb 2, 2026
Orlando, FL

https://sites.google.com/site/snopaifd/
SNOPA Folk Dance Weekend
Feb 20-22, 2026
Hudson, WI

Upcoming events you might be interested in

This post will be updated for events in 2024.  Please let us know of any additions or corrections.  The posts that were being updated with events throughout 2023 have been retired and will no longer be updated.

Zoom or Hybrid Events

Stockton Winter Weekend - Online on Zoom - Jan 31 - Feb 2, 2025 - https://stocktonfolkdancecamp.org/winter-weekend/

Many weekly or recurring events are listed on https://nfo-usa.com/virtual-events-calendar/ and https://facone.org/.  For monthly Zoom Global Folk Dance Parties see https://www.facebook.com/PFDCouncil/ and https://www.folkdance.com/?post_type=tribe_events .

Live events in the Chicago area:

Lots of ethnic and folk festivals are listed in https://festivalguidesandreviews.com/illinois-festivals/

https://www.msichicago.org/explore/whats-here/exhibits/christmas-around-the-world
Museum of Science and Industry Christmas Around the World
Nov 16, 2024 – Jan 6, 2025
Chicago, IL

https://chicagolandecd.org/chicagoland-west-ecd/
Chicagoland West ECD and IFD
Sun Jan 5, 2025
Glen Ellyn,IL

uofcfolk.org
University of Chicago Folk Festival
Feb 7-8, 2025
Chicago, IL

Live events elsewhere:

https://sites.google.com/madfolkdance.org/mfdu/folk-ball-2025
Folk Ball Festival
Jan 24-26, 2025
Madison, WI

folkdance.org
Florida Folk Dance Council Winter Workshop
Jan 31 - Feb 3, 2025
Kissimmee, FL

https://sites.google.com/site/snopaifd/home
SNOPA! Folk Dance Camp
Feb 21-23, 2025
Camp St. Croix
near Hudson, WI

https://veselofolkdancers.org/
Mar 1-2, 2025
Veselo Festival 2025
Eugene, OR

https://folklorevillage.org/spring-swedish-music-and-dance-weekend/
Spring Norwegian Music and Dance Weekend
Mar 21-23, 2025
Folklore Village
Dodgeville, WI

https://safdf.org/workshops/
San Antonio Folklife and Dance Festival
Mar 28-30, 2025
San Antonio, TX

https://nfo-usa.com/annual-nfo-conference-2025/
National Folk Organization Annual Conference
Apr 2-6, 2025
Portland, OR

https://lyridsfolkdancefestival.org/
Lyrids Folk Dance Festival
May 9-11, 2025
Near Vancouver, BC, Canada

https://ifc-ny.com/
IFC Revival Folkdance Camp
May 16-18 2025
Hopewell Junction, NY

https://sites.google.com/site/junecampifd/
June Camp
Jun 12-15, 2025
Lake Forest, IL

Upcoming Regional Folk/Music/Dance Events

Received the following list from EMNFD -- some of these events have already been posted here, some not:

Regional special events - support our folk music and dance friends! (By the end of September your feet will be so tired!)

• Friday Sept 9 - Global Dance Party with Jaerv Swedish band at Old Town School, Chicago IL at 8:30  https://www.oldtownschool.org/concerts/2016/09-09-2016-gdp-jaerv-830pm/
• Satuday Sept 10 - Taste of Hungary at 8260 W Foster Ave, Norridge IL; dancing at 6:30  http://www.tasteofhungary.com/
• Sunday Sept 11 - Scandinavian Day at Vasa Park, S. Elgin IL; dancing at 1 p.m. http://scandinaviandayil.com/index.html
• Thursday Sept 15 - Performance by Söndörgő tamburitza band from Hungary at Fitzgerald's, Berwyn IL at 8:00  http://www.fitzgeraldsnightclub.com/events/view/Sondorgo-2
• Weekend Sept 15-18 - Tamburitza Extravaganza at Westin O'Hare, Rosemont IL  https://tamburitza-public.sharepoint.com/
• Weekend Sept 23-25 - Fall Folk Dance Camp at OSRUI, Oconomowoc WI   (see Dit for info)
• Tuesday Sept 27 - Dance party with music by Bulgarika at Hart Park, Wauwatosa WI, at 7:30
• Thursday Sept 29 - Bulgarian Dance Workshop with Iliana Bozhanova, music by Todor Yankov at Fermilab Kuhn Barn, Batavia IL at 7:30 http://orgs.fnal.gov/folkdance/ 
•  Save the Date: November 5 - Regional pot luck dinner and dance hosted by EMNFD http://www.evanstonfolkdance.org/save-the-date

Sep 12-14 Harvest Moon Dance Fest + more upcoming events

We heard of several upcoming events from Mady :
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, Sept. 11 - Fermilab international folk dancing moves back to Kuhn Village Barn at Fermilab, and a preview of Cross Step Waltz is planned.

Friday - Sunday September 12 - 14  Harvest Moon Dance Weekend - featuring dance historian Susan de Guardiola teaching Cross-Step Waltz (Friday) and historical social dance (Saturday), at Fermilab's Barn, as well as a Waltz evening (Saturday) with live music by Martha Edwards and Jonathan Whitall; Regency dance and modern English country dance and more cross-step waltz at Oak Park's Nineteenth Century Club (Sunday)

Friday - Sunday Sept 26 - 28 Yves Moreau at Tapestry's Fall Weekend in Minneapolis (for lower rate sign up by Sept. 12)

Saturday Oct 18 - "Chicagoland Fall Ball" Bulgarian Dance workshop and party with Nikolay Tsvetkov at Ethnic Dance Chicago

Sunday, Oct. 19  Nikolay Tsvetkov, noted dancer, instructor, and choreography from Ensemble Pirin, teaches a guest workshop and master class hosted by Ensemble Balkanske Igre  (more info at balkanske_igre@yahoo.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Also, St Paul's UCC in Downers Grove, where we dance on Friday nights, is planning an October Fest the evening of  Saturday Oct 18, and we may be helping with some simple participation folk dancing there, stay tuned for further details when we find out more.

There's still just barely time to sign up for Oconomowoc Folk Dance Camp -- contrary to what some of the printed flyers say, the deadline for the early price is ***SEPT 3, 2014****, so better get hopping!
 

Sat Aug 2: Fox Valley Irish Fest Aurora + Lake Co Fiber+Folk Fest

Fox Valley Irish Fest

Date:	Sat, Aug 02 from 1 to 10:30pm
Price:	$5 - $10

Venue Info:

RiverEdge Park 360 N. Broadway Aurora, IL 60505 (click map for more details) (630) 896-6666

http://riveredgeaurora.com/events/fox-valley-irish-festival/


Midwest Fiber & Folk Art Fair (includes folk music)

Date:	Fri, Aug 01 through Sun, Aug 3
Price:	$10/day or 3 day pass for $25. Kids 10 and under are FREE

Venue Info:

Lake County Fairgrounds 1060 E. Peterson Rd Grayslake, IL 60030

http://www.fiberandfolk.com/

EMNFD: Special Events E-mail

Received from Harry:

Evanston Monday Night Folk Dancers    Special events this weekend Univ of Chicago Folk Festival   Ida Noyes Hall, 1212 E 59th St, Chicago dance workshops Saturday and Sunday 10:30-4:30 Scandi, Irish, Cajun, English, Welsh, Klezmer, Barn http://uofcfolk.org International Evening at St. Sava Serbian Cathedral 3201 S 51st St, Milwaukee  Saturday 5:00pm-12:30am performances by Milwaukee ethnic dance groups dancing with Orkestar Sloboda more info  and at EMNFD on Monday February 14 Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year Party Wear red ! Celebrate February Birthdays     And of course the annual EMNFD 10-minute meeting with the exciting annual survey results!   Lake Street Church of Evanston 607 Lake Street - NW corner of Lake Street and Chicago Avenue enter through courtyard arched entry on Chicago Avenue   Only $5.00

Save the dates for EMNFD events: 3/7 Mardi Gras 3/28 Turkish Dancing with Ahmet Lüleci  4/30 Saturday night party with Orkestar Sloboda   Other regional folkdance events:  3/25-27 Balkanske Igre Spring Festival  at University of Chicago International House dance: Atanas Kolarovski, Ahmet Lüleci, Ventzi Sotirov music: Jim Stoyanoff, Chris Bajmakovich, Ljupco Milenkovski and more!

Think Global - Dance Local! Find us on the Web at www.evanstonfolkdance.org Evanston Monday Night Folk Dancers is not affiliated with Lake Street Church