Old Town School of Folk Music

Get ready to move, groove, and have a blast at Old Town School's FREE Kids Dance Open House on Aug. 15 & 16 👯💃🕺✨

This 2-day event is 100% built for fun — your child can bounce from ballet to hip-hop to tap, try every style that catches their eye, and find the one that makes them light up.

No experience, no pressure, no cost: just two joyful mornings to send off the summer in motion. Come dance with us! Register for free at ots.fm/openhouse.

✨Get to know Music Moves Chicago: Events✨

Welcome back to learning more about our Music Moves Chicago initiative! Today we’re tackling another one of their major pillars: events.

Throughout the year, Music Moves Chicago offers a wide range of programming including hands-on workshops, concerts featuring touring artists, recurring productions, community celebrations, and more. These events serve as the “exposure” portal in the Folk Arts Laboratory model and create accessible entry points for folks living in Chicago’s South and West Side neighborhoods and beyond.

Some signature events include the Black History Future Folk Symposium, Future Folk Festival, Africa Out West, Global Carnival, and Baile de Bomba. Productions have featured acclaimed artists and ensembles including the Academia de Bachata, Azania Drum, Los Médicos, SILKROAD, Khadijah Siferllah & Bnat El Houariyat, and many more. By providing a web of interconnected educational and cultural experiences, Music Moves Chicago sparks curiosity, fosters meaningful connections, and plants the seed for deeper engagement with folk and traditional arts.

If you’d like to get in on the action, here are some upcoming FREE concerts to attend:

Night Out in the Parks: Cuatro Mujeres
Aunt Sarah // Thursday 8/20 at 6:30 PM • Hamilton Park 513 W 72nd St. • featuring Azania Drum, Soul Resonance, and Zenzile Fatou

Saffronia // Tues. 8/25 at 6:30PM • Humboldt Park 1440 N. Humboldt Blvd • featuring D-Composed, Frog Belly Society, and Edson Cabrera

Sweet Thing // Thurs. 9/3 at 6:30 PM • South Shore Cultural Center 7059 S South Shore Dr. • featuring Damon Locks, Ben LaMar Gay, and Keyierra Collins

Peaches // Tues. 9/8 at 6:30 PM • Austin Town Hall 5610 W Lake St • featuring Angel Bat Dawid, Fred Jackson Jr., and Ayesha Jaco

Africa Out West // Thurs. 10/1 at 6:00 PM • Kehrein Center For The Arts 5628 W Washington Blvd • featuring Azania Drum, Deeply Rooted, and Asase Yaa!

Follow Music Moves Chicago and join the Community Ventures newsletter at ots.fm/newsletters to get first access to all the details!

Cover Photos by Tafari Melisizwe

BIG day for Fretboard Summit 2026 news!! Not only are 3-Day AND single day all-access passes now on sale, but the full weekend schedule is officially LIVE 🎸

In less than a month, passholders will get admission to tons of awesome events including...

🌟 the highly anticipated exhibitor showcase

🌟 amazing concerts with Jake Xerxes Fussell, Cameron Knowler, Deep Sea Diver, Hand Habits, and more

🌟 fun and interactive workshops and master classes

🌟 the ever-popular Fretboard Summit Science Fair

🌟 panel discussions with industry greats

🌟 the second annual Summit Pinewood Derby

🌟 spaces to jam with other musicians

🌟 ...and much, much more!

Purchase your tickets and plan out your weekend at fretboardsummit.org, and we’ll see you in August 😎🎟️

Join us on Aug. 8 for a kids Summer Bookworms workshop to celebrate Ella Jenkins' birthday month! 📚🎶🎉

https://www.oldtownschool.org/classes/detail/?courseid=8124

A summer Wiggleworms program on Make A Pretty Sound: A Story of Ella Jenkins, the first lady of children’s music, will be held 9:30 Saturday morning, August 8th at the Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. It’s free. To register, visit www.oldtownschool.org.

Wiggleworms classes bring such a playful, colorful, exciting, and special energy to Old Town School every day! We love watching as little ones grow a love for music and caregivers let out their inner child 🎶👯🫧💕

Want to be part of the fun? All classes in the Wiggleworms program offer rolling enrollment, so families can join at any time! Browse our full list of offerings and register at ots.fm/wiggleworms 💫

Year after year, we’re absolutely starstruck from the talent that Old Town School teaching artists, students, and community members bring to the Square Roots Chicago stages, and this past weekend was no exception 🤩 Thank you to everyone who performed, led jams, hosted workshops, and more throughout the fest.

Featuring...

⭐ Summertime Beatles Songbag with Tommi Zender & Tom Ryan

⭐ Flamenco Dance with Maya Tatiana

⭐ Ukulele Bacchanalians with Vanda Kay

⭐ Wiggleworms with Maryanne Johnson & Tisa Batchelder

⭐ Second Half Jam with Shelley Miller, Kacie Swierk, Luis Bardales

⭐ Belly Dance with Asali Naimah

⭐ Classic Country Ensemble with Alton Smith & Steve Dawson

⭐ RPA Ensemble with Steve Dawson

⭐ Americana Jam with Alby Martinez

⭐ Youth String Band with Jonas Friddle & Anna Jacobson

⭐ New Americana Ensemble with Alton Smith

⭐ Family Dance with Kate DeSalvo

⭐ String Band Ensemble with Colby Maddox & Dan Mulvihill

Tell your friends!! Registration is open for group music and dance classes starting the week of AUG. 31 ☀️💕🌳🎶

If you're searching for a class that's the perfect fit for you or your kiddo, our friendly customer service team is here to help! Chat with us in person, over the phone, or online to learn more about our offerings and register for the next session.

*Note that Old Town School will be closed for a summer break from Aug. 17 - 30!