Folk concerts · Contra dances · Grand Rapids
Listening-room folk concerts, usually on Saturday evenings, at the Wealthy Theatre Annex, and contra dances with a live band every third Friday. No partner or experience needed to dance, and your first dance is free.
The Joni Mitchell Tribute is not on a Saturday evening and starts earlier than usual, at 3:00 pm. It’s still at the Annex.
Claudia Schmidt plays the December concert on Friday, December 11, not Saturday the 12th as first listed.
New here?
Whether you like to listen or like to move, there’s a place for you. Both are friendly, easy to try, and open to everyone.
Concerts
Sit back and listen.
Folk concerts are in a small, intimate listening room at the Wealthy Theatre Annex. Touring and regional folk musicians play, and the audience comes to enjoy the music up close. They happen about once a month, usually on a Saturday evening, with music at 7:00 pm and doors open at 6:30. A few dates fall on other days, so check the schedule.
Admission: $15, with lower prices for seniors, students, members and children. Lap sitters are free. Cash or check at the door.
Dances
Get up and move.
Contra dancing is a friendly folk dance done in long lines, to live music. A caller teaches each dance before the music starts, then calls it while the band plays. You change partners with every dance, so you don’t need to bring one. We dance on the third Friday of the month, September through May.
Admission: your first dance is free. After that it’s $12, with lower prices for seniors, students, members and families.
for what to wear, how a first visit goes, and common questions.
Join in
Membership
$15 single · $25 family
Members save at every dance and concert, and keep traditional music going in Grand Rapids. Join at the door.
Third Fridays, September–May
Live bands, a caller who teaches every dance, and a crowd aged 6 to 92. Come alone, with friends, or bring the family.
When
3rd Friday of the month
Beginner lesson 7:00 pm. Dancing 7:30–10:00 pm.
Where
Fifth Street Hall at St. Adalbert’s
701 5th St NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504, at 5th and Davis. Parking is on the street or in the lot across from the entrance. Great wooden dance floor, and bring a snack to share if you like. Get directions
Admission
What to expect
New to contra? Here’s how an evening goes.
We walk through the basic moves together. Come even if you plan to “just watch.”
The caller teaches each dance, then calls it out loud while the band plays. Partners change every dance.
We wind down around ten. By then you’ll have danced with most of the room.
Bands and callers can change. Check back the week of the dance.
The January 15, 2027 dance is at Fountain Street Church in downtown Grand Rapids, not our usual hall. Get directions
Fifth Street Hall is on the second floor, up a long staircase, with no elevator. If stairs are hard for you, contact us before you come and we’ll help you plan.
Want to play or call a GRFAS dance? Get in touch. Callers, please give us at least 10 days’ notice.
More dancing nearby: Contra GR hosts dances on first Fridays, so there are two chances a month to get on the floor in Grand Rapids. There’s also Country Dancing in Kalamazoo and the Macatawa Contra Dance in Holland. See the for more.
Usually Saturday evenings at the Wealthy Theatre Annex
Touring and regional folk musicians in an intimate listening room. Friday and Saturday concerts start at 7:00 pm, with doors open at 6:30.
Where
Wealthy Theatre Annex
1110 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. A small, intimate studio two doors west of the Wealthy Theatre itself. Parking is on the street or in the lot behind the building. Get directions
Admission
Performers announced as they’re booked. Dates can change, so check before you plan a trip.
The Joni Mitchell Tribute is not on our usual Saturday evening. It’s on Sunday afternoon, November 8, and it starts earlier than usual, at 3:00 pm instead of 7:00. It’s still at the Wealthy Theatre Annex. The Annex wasn’t available on the 7th.
The December concert with Claudia Schmidt is on Friday, December 11, not Saturday the 12th as first listed. It’s the only Friday concert of the season. Apart from the November 8 Sunday afternoon tribute, all other concerts are on Saturdays.
We’re a volunteer nonprofit with a modest budget, so we usually offer a small guarantee plus a share of the door. Send a recording or a link to your music to our concert booker.
Welcome
We put on two kinds of evenings: folk concerts where you sit back and listen, and contra dances where you get up and join in. Both are friendly, easy to try, and open to everyone.
Concerts
Sit back and listen.
Folk concerts are in a small, intimate listening room at the Wealthy Theatre Annex. Touring and regional folk musicians play, and the audience comes to enjoy the music up close. They happen about once a month, usually on a Saturday evening, with music at 7:00 pm and doors open at 6:30. A few dates fall on other days, so check the schedule.
Admission: $15, with lower prices for seniors, students, members and children. Lap sitters are free. Cash or check at the door.
Dances
Get up and move.
Contra dancing is a friendly folk dance done in long lines, to live music. A caller teaches each dance before the music starts, then calls it while the band plays. You change partners with every dance, so you don’t need to bring one. We dance on the third Friday of the month, September through May.
Admission: your first dance is free. After that it’s $12, with lower prices for seniors, students, members and families.
That’s when the free beginner lesson starts.
Your first dance is free. After that it’s $12, or less for seniors, students, members, and families.
Partners change every dance. Coming alone is normal.
Each dance is walked through first, then called out loud while the band plays.
No. Anyone can come to any concert or dance. Members pay less and help keep the music going. You can join at the door.
Yes. Come to the beginner lesson even if you plan to “just watch.” Many people try a dance or two once they see how it goes.
No. Partners rotate throughout the night, and lots of people arrive on their own.
Yes. Our dances welcome ages 6 to 92 and up. Children should be able to follow simple spoken directions and stay with a partner through a dance. The family rate is $20.
Always. A simple “no thank you” is enough, and sitting one out is completely normal.
Fifth Street Hall is up a long staircase with no elevator. Contact us before the dance and we’ll help you plan. The January 15 dance is at Fountain Street Church.
No. The caller teaches every dance before the music starts, and experienced dancers are happy to steer you.
Draft awaiting board adoption.
If something doesn’t feel right, tell any board member or the person running sound that night. We’ll listen.
Membership & volunteering
GRFAS is run entirely by volunteers. Members keep dances and concerts affordable, and save at the door.
Single
$15 / year
One person.
Family
$25 / year
Everyone in your household.
Fill out a short form at the door of any dance or concert. You’ll get a wallet card showing your expiration date.
A few hours a month makes a real difference. We regularly need help with:
Hear about upcoming dances and concerts. Ask to join the email list (cal.mi.mpc@gmail.com), or follow us on Facebook.
Who we are
We enrich people’s lives and foster a sense of community through traditional music, dance, and song.
The Grand River Folk Arts Society is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has presented contra dances and folk concerts in West Michigan for decades, serving the Grand Rapids–Kalamazoo area. Our monthly dances returned in January 2024 after the pandemic break.
Everything we do, from booking bands and callers to running sound and staffing the door, is done by members and volunteers.
Board meetings are open to all members. Contact us for the next meeting date.
Grand River Folk Arts Society
Attn: Roger Plaxton, Treasurer
10886 Treetop Lane
Lowell, MI 49331
Friends & neighbors
More folk music, dance, and song around Michigan and beyond. Know a group we’re missing? Let us know.