Kick up your heels at the third annual

Indiana Fiddle Frolic

September 19-21, 2025!

The Fiddle Frolic is made possible in part with generous support from these local sponsors:

O'Bryan's 9 Irish Brothers

Mcguire Music

Gary Cunningham - Stringed Instrument Repair

and with sustaining support for the IFG from

The Arts Federation and Indiana Arts Commission

The Indiana Fiddle Frolic is an old time music weekend camp presented by the Indiana Fiddlers' Gathering. Jam and learn with instructors and fellow music lovers at beautiful Ross Camp in West Lafayette.

We know that many of our festival participants join us for the community and camaraderie of jamming in the campground. We also know that there are not a lot of public opportunities in Indiana for old time music instruction and jamming – so we're bringing another opportunity for the tunes to play on!

Seasoned jammers and beginners alike can play, listen, and learn. The best way for old time and folk music to thrive is for people to study and play it together in person.

The Indiana Fiddle Frolic’s schedule gives you choices and flexibility so you can meet your goals. We’re creating a schedule of workshops, jams, and small group lessons with our instructors.

This year, instructors will be divided into levels so you can choose you degree of challenge.

Instructors & Staff

Beginners

If you have been playing for 1 year or less and/or if you do not yet feel comfortable playing by ear or with others, these are the instructors for you:

Allie Burbrink - fiddle, banjo, mandolin

Sean Hoffman - fiddle, guitar, ukulele

Ellen Coplin - cello, guitar, bass, singing

As former classroom teachers, these three multi-instrumentalists love nothing more than breaking things down into accessible bites and giving you lots of encouragement!

Intermediate

If you've been playing for 1-5 years and/or you can somewhat play by ear and you can play along in a moderate-tempo jam, you're ready to learn more tunes, songs, and techniques from these instructors:

Jill Vass - fiddle, Indiana/Illinois tunes

Jude Odell - clawhammer banjo, song repertoire

Charmaine Slaven - fiddle, backup guitar, flatfoot dancing, jam skills

Charlie Beck - fiddle, various banjo styles, bass, favorite festival bangers

Advanced

If you've been playing longer than 5 years and/or are comfortable in high-speed jams and crave obscure or unusual tunes to add to your already-large repertoire, these are the folks for you:

Chirps Smith - fiddle, repertoire

Paul Tyler - mandolin, fiddle, Indiana tunes

Steve Rosen - clawhammer banjo, backup guitar, fiddle, boisterous singing, general antics

Camp Overview

Friday, September 19 1:00pm - Sunday, September 21 10:00am

Square Dance on Friday night

Catered meals

Stay onsite in the lodge or at the campground

Follow the schedule that works for you: beginners, intermediate, or advanced

Workshops

45-90 minutes depending on the instructor and the skill level

You can choose what workshops you want to attend

Skill-level specific

Instruments: fiddle, mandolin, cello, guitar, banjo, ukulele, upright bass, flatfoot dance, singing

Jams

Scheduled jams will be separated by skill level so you can choose the best fit for you. Beginners will be offered a unique "gentle jam" lead by Allie Burbrink that teaches jam skills in real-time as you play!

Jam the tunes you learned in the workshops!

Lodging & Meals

Lodging is available in the A-Frame Lodge or in the Campground.

There are 8 large rooms and 2 small rooms. The rooms are furnished with bunk beds. Each room has its own bathroom with shower. Bring your own bedding and towels.

Participants may opt in/out of lodging during registration.

Meals will be catered by Sarah Stantz. Dietary restrictions and preferences will be accommodated to the best of her ability. Please let us know what you need.

Overall Schedule
subject to change

Accessibility Information

If you would like to request accessibility accommodations, please contact program director Allie Burbrink at musicwithallie@gmail.com. We kindly request you let us know at least two weeks before the event.

While we strive make sure all our programs are wheelchair accessible, please notify us if you require any accommodations so we can ensure your needs are met.