Calendar
Welcome to our calendar! Here you will find events of harp interest throughout the Pacific Northwest. (As submissions come from so many different sources, the Puget Sound Folk Harp Society cannot guarantee the accuracy of every detail; please check with the contact person when listed if you have questions or concerns about the event.) If you would like your harp event to be listed here, please contact info@reigningharps.com for submission guidelines.
SEPTEMBER 2025
Sep 7 Online. Ailie Robertson of Scotland is offering two 8-week Zoom courses:
-The first is “Technique Tune-up” for Advanced beginner – Lower intermediate level. Have you been playing for a little while now but know your technique needs some tightening up? Join Ailie for this course focusing on Harp Technique in a supportive and friendly online environment. Focus on strengthening and refining core technique: hand position, finger independence, tone production, and fluidity across both hands. Ideal for those who feel stuck or unsure how to improve.
-The second is “Step into the Spotlight” for All Levels. This is Ailie’s ‘life-changing’ performance anxiety course. Do you ever find yourself gripped by stage fright, performance anxiety, or those nervous butterflies before playing in public? If so, you’re not alone. The paralyzing fear that can hit before performing can be all too real. In this transformative course, explore innovative strategies, insider tips, and proven techniques to help you not just cope, but thrive under pressure.
Places for both courses will be limited, so book early to secure your spot. Find out more and book here: https://www.ailierobertson.com/workshops.
Sep 11 Shoreline WA. The Eastside Harp Circle will meet on September 11th at the North Seattle Friends Church in Shoreline WA. The meeting will begin at 11:00 am with Zoom, but if you are attending “live” you may arrive as early as 10:00 am to get set up, tuned, and chat with other harpers. This month they’ll be starting a new book, Circle of Harps by Nancy Hurrell. For more information, contact Anna Jenkins by email at peaceharp@hotmail.com.
Sep 11 Online. Sharon Thormahlen will be giving a Zoom workshop through Melody Music at 1:00 Pacific Time on “How to Order the Right Strings You Need for Your Harp”. (Even though the registration says it’s for Teachers, it is for EVERYONE.) Have you ever ordered strings, and when they finally arrived, you were sent the wrong ones? They may have been what you ordered, but perhaps you didn’t give the correct information to the string vendor, so they sent the wrong strings. Let’s fix that so that doesn’t happen. Sharon is going to educate you on how to order the right strings. The harp brand (Dusty, Thormahlen, Blevins, etc.), the kind of string (nylon, lever gut, pedal gut, fluorocarbon), the note name (C, D, E, etc), the string number, the octave, and if nylon, the string gauge are all relevant identifiers when ordering a string. You want to make sure you get it right. Questions will be encouraged. Sign up here for the Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jMsl_B1tRKK6SlPChPav3A.
Sep 12-14 Corvallis OR. Reported Currently Full; Check to Be Sure! Heart of the Valley harp retreat, a packed weekend of workshops for pedal and lever harpist of all levels, led by outstanding teachers in the heart of Willamette Valley. Held at the First Presbyterian Church. Lodging and most food will be on your own. September 12-14; Friday evening 6:00 through Sunday afternoon 5:00. Hosted by Laura Zaerr and featuring Sunita Staneslow. Spaces going fast. For info contact Laura at 541-908-2077 (text OK) or e-mail lauraz@peak.org.
Sep 19-21 Missoula MT. 2025 Montana Harp Retreat, hosted by the Big Sky Harp Society, at the Best Western Plus Grant Creek Inn in Missoula. The presenter this year is Hannah Flowers, performer and educator from St. Paul MN (www.HannahFlowersHarp.com). They have booked a courtesy room block at the hotel. Individuals can make their reservations at the discounted rate of $189.00/day plus tax until the cut-off date of August 29th, 2025. Individuals may make their reservations by calling the hotel directly (say that you are with the Big Sky Harp Society) at 406-543-0700. For more info see Big Sky Harp Society.
Sep 20 Portland OR. Meeting Third Saturdays: Harps at Artichoke, 2007 SE Powell Blvd., Portland OR. 12-1:30 pm. Play-along tune book on site, solos most welcome. Come enjoy harp company in Artichoke’s cozy cafe, a fabulous community music making space, led by established harpist Tracey Rose Brown. $5-10 facility fees. For more info or to confirm date and time contact Tracey at Tbharpsong@gmail.com.
Sep 21 Mountlake Terrace WA. There will be NO Third Sunday Harp Circle this month due to the big art show at the Mountlake Terrace Library. Harp Circle returns October 19 to the large meeting room, 2-4:30 pm!
Sep 26 Vancouver WA. Vancouver WA/Portland OR area harp circle meets the fourth Friday of every month at Cascade Park Community Library, 600 NE 136th Ave in Vancouver WA. Group tunes, individual tunes and/or songs, creative expression, and a great time! Welcome to all ability levels, from 10 am-12 pm Pacific Time. For more info and to confirm date and time, contact Donita at donita_andrews@yahoo.com.
Sep 27 Olympia WA. The Olympia-area harp circle will meet September 27 from 1-3 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3800 Henderson Blvd SE, Olympia. The church is near Olympia High School. Dan says “We’re now meeting in a different room and it will be easier for harpers to park on the east (rear) side of the building. You’ll see a shallow flight of stairs leading up to the building. You can either go through the double doors straight ahead, turn left, and go into the first large room you see. Or, a door on the left that leads directly into that room will be open and you can get in that way”. For more information, to RSVP for the circle, or to be added to the mailing list, contact Dan at dan.bolton24@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 2025
Oct 3-5 Whidbey Island WA. PSFHS Autumn Folk Harp Retreat, just steps from Puget Sound on scenic Whidbey Island. This is a cozy and informal gathering, all in one building with beach, state park, and hiking trails nearby. Plenty of hands-on harp sessions, plenty of free time to explore, and a do-it-yourself theme that keeps the price low. For a registration form and much more info, see https://pugetsoundfolkharpsociety.org/our-events/.
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