Here is where I try to list accordion-related events and/or links to their sponsoring organizations. Suggestions for event listings are always welcome. The more the better. I am particularly looking for accordion events in the southeastern United States. If you attend an event listed here, please let me know how you liked it.
Alegria is a Mexican folkloric group that has an extensive travel schedule. Many of their appearances are in the United States. Their web site has a calendar of events where they appear. Some of these events include much in addition to the Alegria show.
Augusta Heritage Center offers a variety of courses and workshops dealing with music and instruments.
The Country Dance and Song Society has affiliated groups throughout the United States. There are many events, both on this site and on the sites of affiliate clubs, which are linked from the main site.
The Northeast Squeeze-In is held every September in western Massachussetts. There's no professional show. All the activities are put on by the participants. There seem to be more concertinas and fewer accordions each year, and the weather tends to be rather chilly. The site is a girls' camp which is rented for the event. Housing is dormitory style with bathrooms in separate buildings. Camping is permitted, and commercial accomodations are available in nearby Lee.
The Carolina Accordion Association is a young organization that seems intent on holding various accordion events around the Carolinas. I recently attended an informal session of this group and it was very good. Accordionists of all skill levels were nicely accomodated.
The Florida Accordion Association has the best festival I have attended so far. Its Accordion Smash is held each November in Orlando. The 2002 event was loaded with top talent and was very well organized. Activities started Friday afternoon with attendees entertaining each other and the public in the hotel cocktail lounge. Saturday's activities were in a different room and were smoke-free.
The Accordionists and Teachers Guild is an organization of professionals which rotates its annual festival among major cities around the United States. The 2003 festival is June 25-29 at Arlington Hights, Ill., near Chicago. I attended the 2002 festival and it was fantastic.
Annual Leavenworth (Washington) Accordion Celebration in June.
Stas Venglevski is an artist on the chromatic button accordion, also known as the bayan. He does a lot of concerts and lists them on his site.