Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival

Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival Fri-Sat, November 6-7, 2026 / Milford, CT / Performers will be announced at a later date. Vendors will be Ron Ewing, Gerald Heinrich, Don Kawalek.

At Nutmeg, we believe that hammered dulcimers and mountain dulcimers are among the world's coolest musical instruments, they belong in popular music as well as folk music, and that they deserve to be known by the general public.

2024 will be the 21st annual Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Friday-Saturday, November 8-9. This year's featured artists are former National Champions Kara Barnard on mountain

dulcimer and Nate Pultorak on hammered dulcimer. As always, we offer a full program of workshops on both instruments for all levels of players. This year's hammered dulcimer instructors include Cliff Cole, Maryz Katz, Mary Grace Lee ... and special guest cimbalom artists Daniel Skála and Matěj Číp. Mountain dulcimer instructors include Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Sam Edelston, Ron Ewing, Sandy Lafleur, Ellen Pratt, Susan Trump, and Carol Walker. Our Friday and Saturday evening concerts will be open to the public. Friday evening will be the workshop leaders, plus a special set by our two guest cimbalom artists. Saturday evening will be the two featured artists. In addition, by popular demand, on Saturday afternoon we'll have a dulcimer orchestra performance and our second-ever Open Mic.

04/02/2026

ANNOUNCING:
Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival 2026
Fri-Sat, Nov. 6-7🎵Milford, CT

I've just learned that Ron Ewing has passed away. I have no details at this time. He was a many-time vendor at Nutmeg, w...
01/24/2026

I've just learned that Ron Ewing has passed away. I have no details at this time. He was a many-time vendor at Nutmeg, willing to drive more than 600 miles to do it. Here's a favorite Ron Ewing/Nutmeg story.

At the very first Nutmeg in 2004, one of our attendees was a 14-year-old girl. She was new to the mountain dulcimer, but wanted to learn to play. During the lunch break, I noticed her at Ron's booth, with the two of them sitting next to each other playing Liza Jane. Toward the end of lunch hour, I walked past again, and they were still playing the same tune. In between the afternoon workshops, still there, same positions, same tune. Same thing during the dinner break and again during the concert intermission. At first, I was a bit miffed that she was skipping all the workshops I had scheduled, but then I realized that she was doing exactly what she needed. (Wax on, wax off.) And Ron was patiently doing it with her.

I first learned of his passing from a post by Kevin Roth, who pointed out that Ron was the innovator who introduced the 1+ fret and the dulcimer capo. (Last fall, I asked Ron about the 1+ fret, and he told me that he'd subsequently learned that one of the older builders had made some dulcimers with a 1+, but those hadn't caught on.) He also knew a ton of tunes and was a very fine player. The dulcimer community will miss him, Nutmeg will miss him, and I'll miss him personally.

By the way, this photo was shot in Milford, Connecticut when he was up for Nutmeg one year recently. It's his current FB profile picture.

Sam Edelston

Just 4 weeks until the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Fri-Sat, October 17-18. Come see featured artists Aubrey Atwater, Butch...
09/19/2025

Just 4 weeks until the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Fri-Sat, October 17-18. Come see featured artists Aubrey Atwater, Butch Ross, Ken Kolodner & Mary Lynn Michal ... plus a dozen workshop leaders, nearly 50 workshops, two concerts, open mic, and more!

It's gonna be another INCREDIBLE Nutmeg! We're just putting a few more details about the program. Full details coming in...
08/19/2025

It's gonna be another INCREDIBLE Nutmeg! We're just putting a few more details about the program. Full details coming in the next few days! You'll want to join us Oct 17-18 in Milford, CT!

02/06/2025
Come to the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival this weekend and feel some musical joy. Milford, CT, Fri-Sat, Nov 8-9. www.nutmegdu...
11/06/2024

Come to the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival this weekend and feel some musical joy. Milford, CT, Fri-Sat, Nov 8-9. www.nutmegdulcimer.com

11/01/2024

Just 7 days to the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival! NutmegDulcimer.com

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Milford, CT
06460

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