Discover the Wild Flagstaff Music Festival, a unique celebration where the deep roots of global musical traditions converge in the heart of downtown. This is an immersive experience designed for artists and audiences to connect, learn, and create together. Featuring musicians with a deep commitment to their craft, culturally rooted yet innovative, each group will create an interactive performance experience through telling about their journeys, teaching dance steps, and/or leading a workshop. There also may be an unforgettable, spontaneous mainstage jam session. This festival offers a rare (and free!) opportunity to engage directly with multicultural traditions, expanding horizons and fostering empathy through the universal language of music and dance. Family friendly—all welcome!
Wild Flagstaff Music Festival
Main Stage (Charly’s):
11:05AM-11:55AM: Celtic Song, Ditties, and Shanties with Rod Robinson and Stephen Babcock.
12:10PM-1:00PM: Beaver Creek Gals. Hot dam! We’re the Beaver Creek Gals, Flagstaff’s newest all-girl stringband.
1:15PM-2:05PM: Steelin the Night Away. This local steel drum band specializes in interactive and family-friendly Caribbean, reggae, and pop tunes that reflect the roots and culture of the steel pan.
2:20PM-2:45PM: Circle Singing. Join a community of voices gathering for joyful improvisation and spontaneous harmony. All ages and abilities welcome!
3:00PM-3:50PM: The NAU Middle East Ensemble. Vibrant and diverse songs and multi-instrumental melodies of the greater Middle East. Learning about music is one of the best ways to learn about people! Directed by Dr. Lillie Gordon, with NAU students, faculty, and Flagstaff community members.
4:05PM-4:30PM: Austrian folk tunes on the Ziach, an accordion-like instrument—unique and joyful!
4:45PM-5:35PM: Capoeira Angola Flagstaff. Enjoy a rich Afro-Brazilian tradition that blends movement, rhythm, strategy, and self-discovery. We are a vibrant and welcoming community dedicated to the art of Capoeira Angola. More info: capoeiraangola.org.
5:50PM-6:40PM: Begged and Borrowed. Traditional Irish music duo with Celtic harp, flute, guitar, and vocals.
6:55PM-7:45PM: Wild Performers’ Mainstage Jam! All performers are invited to spontaneously let loose and see what emerges together onstage, unamplified, and fully in the moment. Hear the magic of rooted traditions blending and interweaving!
8PM-8:50PM: Wild World Irish Fiddle. Irish melodies by the rooted and innovative fiddler Kate Rose, with masterful guitar accompaniment by Armand Ramirez, and dance steps taught for all!
9:05PM-9:55PM: Earth Picks of Cochise County. Supporting their songwriting and storytelling with vocals, bass, guitar, and harmonica, Liz Lopez and Jeff Sturges present accounts of historical events and related personages of the American Southwest along with a variety of traditional and Western Folk Blues styles.
Until 11PM: Open jamming everywhere, winding down, socializing…
Workshops (Gopher Hole):
11AM-12:45PM: Open jamming: Bring your instrument and see what emerges!
1PM-2:45PM: Bluegrass Workshop and Jam. Bluegrass/Old Time Music Workshop and Jam Come jam with us on traditional fiddle tunes, bluegrass classics, and folk songs. We recommend that you know basic chords on your instrument in keys of G, C, and D. We’ll have a list of tunes to jam on and we welcome yours. We will workshop topics by request! Led by Aislinn and the Beaver Creek Gals.
3PM-4:45PM: Celtic Session. Whether seasoned in the genre or just starting, bring your instrument and learn some tunes or soak in the sounds of an ancient and vibrant tradition. Led by Greg Ulrich.
5PM-6:45PM: Deconstructing Songs. Come experiment together with tips and tricks to creating a rhythm and vocal backing in acapella format, based on original and multicultural song examples. Led by Rod Robinson.
7PM:00-8:45PM: Voices Unleashed. Set your voice free in a safe and rooted circle and explore musical possibility through harmonizing parts. Led by Kappé Rousseau.
9PM-10:45PM: Open jamming: Bring your instrument and see what emerges!
