7:30 PM: Dearest Dear
Rooted in the musical traditions of New England, Dearest Dear present traditional tunes from Ireland, New England, Quebec, and France, and craft vocal harmonies for age-old songs with modern relevance.
Rose Jackson came up in the rich folk scene of western Massachusetts. Equally at home in the concert hall and on the dance stage, she studied under fiddler Becky Tracy (Nightingale, Wild Asparagus), from whom she inherited a wide repertoire of music from Quebec, New England, Ireland, and France, a deep love for old tunes, and the intuitive sense of rhythm and danceability which infuses her playing. From multi-instrumentalist Pete Sutherland (Pete’s Posse), she developed her ear for song arrangement and harmony. She's toured festivals nationally with her band Polaris, and now plays with her quartet Stove Dragon. In 2024, she received one of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s competitive Grants for Creative Individuals for her work as a tradition-bearer of New England fiddle music.
Hailing from Seattle, Washington, Helen Kuhar currently resides in Cambridge, MA. Helen began exploring their connection to folk and Celtic music in 2020 while studying with renowned guitarist Alex Sturbaum (Countercurrent). Since then, Helen has become involved in the thriving New England music scene through playing contra dances and concerts with their band Good Company. Helen also performs with Upstate New York fiddler Tim Ball, whose debut solo album Upstate Crossroads was the No. 1 CD of January 2023 on the FAI Folk music chart. Helen can also be found leading Irish sessions in and around the greater Boston Area.
Together, this duo Dearest Dear invite audiences in for stories, melodies, and lyrics that unite us all in our shared humanity.
8:00 PM: Erin Ash Sullivan
Erin Ash Sullivan is a New England singer-songwriter with story-driven songs that reflect a deep sense of place. Her lyrics—sometimes heartfelt, sometimes funny—are always authentic and drawn from her lived experience, harnessing the power of story to build connection. Her 2024 album, Signposts and Marks, debuted at #4 on the FAI Folk DJ Chart, and Americana UKdescribed her as “a songwriter of the highest order.” Erin was the 2026 recipient of the Focus Music Rising Artist Award (DC), the 2025 winner of the Wildflower Performing Songwriter contest (TX) , a “Most Wanted” selection from the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival (CT), and a 2025 Honorable Mention at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriter Showcase (CO). She is also the three-time winner of her hometown’s Fourth of July Pie Eating Contest.
9:00 PM: Skip Gorman and Mark Burds
Skip Gorman was introduced to traditional music early in his life at the age of eight, when he received his first guitar and a Jimmie Rodgers record. While growing up, he was lucky to have the opportunity to see musicians like the legendary Texas fiddler, Eck Robertson, Bill Monroe, and Maybelle Carter at the historic Newport Folk Festival. An encounter with Monroe at age fourteen was a pivotal moment in the young musician's life, and aside from being a masterful cowboy singer and fine fiddler, Gorman is one of the premier mandolinists in the style of Bill Monroe.
Skip will be accompanied by standout country and blues musician Mark Burds.