10th annual New Mexico Dulcimer Festival

From 10th annual New Mexico Dulcimer Festival Website:

Did you know...While there are more than 80 dulcimer festivals from east Texas to the East Coast, the New Mexico Dulcimer Festival is one of about six dulcimer festivals in the entire Western United States. We started our festival in 2010 on a shoestring budget with major contributions from founding members to try to make inroads in this sparse landscape.

What is a dulcimer anyways? And why a dulcimer festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico? When we held our inaugural festival, we wondered if anyone would come. Response has exceeded all expectations! Not only have participants come from all over NM, but also AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, ID, IN, KS, MA, ME, MO, NE, NH, NV, OK, OR, TX, VT, WA, WI, WY and even Saskatchewan, Canada. Our "local" teaching staff have come from throughout NM and CO, and we've brought headliners in from AR, CA, CO, FL, MD, MN, MO, MS, NC, OH, RI, TN, TX, VA, WA and WV.

Our festival has grown from 7 mountain dulcimer workshops in 2010 to 49 workshops in 2018 focusing on mountain and hammered dulcimer, but other folk instruments as well. We offer a full complement of additional activities. We work hard to keep registration fees low which pay for about half of festival expenses - thank you! Registration revenue is critical to festival survival. We've been seeking grants since 2013 which have paid for about 17% of expenses. We are grateful for these funds as this little boost makes a huge difference in what we can offer, and we get to promote our sponsors' worthy efforts. Other minor sources of revenue and private donations have helped us grow the festival into what we hope is a Southwest treasure and a tangible resource in your musical growth and enjoyment.