About the Conference



WHAT:

The Southeast Regional Folk Alliance Conference is a gathering of folk music makers, industry and community from the southeastern United States and beyond. We celebrate and recognize the roots and new growth of the wide, inclusive genre of folk music.

WHEN:

May 15-18, 2025

WHERE:

Owensboro, Kentucky
Conference activities will be held in three locations, all right next door to each other in downtown Owensboro:

WHO:

Musicians from the appalachian, americana, blues, bluegrass, celtic, cajun, roots, old-time, singer-songwriter genres and more; venues festivals, house concert hosts and presenters of all types; DJs, writers, and podcasters; managers, publicists, agents: music lovers; and hopefully you.

WHY:

Our annual conference returns to an in-person event after two years of gathering online. It's going to be amazing. We share music, build community, help each other to grow and succeed in music, and spread the music we all love.


The DETAILS:

We begin on Thursday afternoon with workshops and song circles, followed by dinner together and performances. On Friday and Saturday, the days are filled with workshops on the craft of songwriting, performing, and recording. There will be business sessions on promotion, marketing, and touring. Industry representatives will enjoy peer group meetings and topics specific to presenters. We will be showing a couple of films, hosting song circles, and offering one-on-one mentoring sessions.

The highlight of our days are the Keynote Address, Annual Awards, and learning from the Wisdom of Elders. Evenings are filled with music including our Official Showcases on an amplified stage, and unplugged private showcases.

The Exhibit Hall is a great opportunity to dig a little deeper, and the schedule offers plenty of time to network and get to know each other. Shared meals on-site deepen our community connection.

We end on Sunday morning with breakfast and a closing circle, always exhausted but wishing it wouldn't end so soon.

HOW:

Register to attend and participate in many ways

Click HERE to head over to the registration page. There, you can sign up to participate in the conference in the following ways:

  • Register for the Conference

  • Register for Lodging and Meals

  • Apply to Perform in an Official Showcase

  • Request to Perform in a Private Showcase

  • Request to Host a Private Showcase

  • Suggest a Workshop or Panel

  • Be a Sponsor

  • Advertise in the Program

  • Reserve an Exhibit Hall Table

  • Be a Volunteer

PHILOSOPHY:

TALK TO US The SERFA board endeavors to make our annual conference a welcoming space. We want to hear from you before during and after the conference - what would you like the conference to include, how can we improve - speak up!

SERFA is a volunteer run organization. We need your help to make it happen. Please reach out and let us know how you’d like to help.

We encourage musicians to take time to listen to each other, so we limit the number of showcases each artist may perform, and host an open mic and song circles. We want everyone to be heard.

NEED A HAND? Attending a conference is a great investment, but we understand the cost can be a hardship. A small number of scholarships are available. Anyone needing financial assistance to attend the conference may email president@serfa.org.

We've built some free time in the schedule and hope you will take advantage of really connecting with your peers .

Sustainability and respect for the venue matter to us, so we ask that you not hang posters or put out leaflets. Schedules of all performances will be in the program book. There will be a spot for information in the exhibit hall, guerrilla showcase rooms may post their line-up at their room, and we hope you will engage with each other enough to hand each other a business card, cd, or schedule.