Ashokan Acoustic Guitar Camp offers guitarists of all levels an opportunity for real immersion and growth in a friendly environment where people can sing, jam and share valuable musical knowledge. Choose from a variety of specialized daytime classes, and enjoy evening presentations, hosted jams, and mini-concerts. You’ll come away with new repertoire and techniques, a reinvigorated sense of direction and purpose, and a greater confidence and joy in making music on your guitar!
The incomparable Mamie Minch will be joined by an amazing staff of teacher/performers including Guy Davis, Rebecca Frazier, Beppe Gambetta, Hubby Jenkins, Avi Salloway, Molly Mason and Jake Sanders! And, Lara Warren (yoga instructor).
“I learned so much! The teachers are incredible, so patient and warm. As a semi-advanced beginner I feel I’m coming away with a new vocabulary and sense of what to work towards. Very inspiring.”
“Aside from the excellent teaching… I loved the ambiance and camaraderie of the camp.”
“Beyond expectations by miles. The teachers were exceptional and incredibly generous.”
“Great food, beautiful setting. I loved the concerts and open mics!”
Click here to view last year’s schedule & class descriptions.
Click here to see photos from previous years.
Supporter ($850.00) |
Standard Registration ($725.00) |
Economy ($600.00) |
Youth (ages 5-25) ($475.00) |
Under 5 ($0.00) |
See if you qualify for our
PAY-IT-FORWARD scholarship
CAMP WAITLIST & PRIVATE LODGING WAITLIST (This option is for you if the blue "Click to register button" is disabled or your preferred lodging choice is greyed out in the form.)
Bluegrass luminary Rebecca Frazier gained notoriety as the first woman to grace the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. In 2018, the Virginia native also became the first woman to earn a Guitar Performer of the Year nomination from the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA), an honor she received again in 2019. Rebecca Frazier’s lifelong journey between mountains and coastal waters is the backdrop for her flagship 2024 Compass Records release, BOARDING WINDOWS IN PARADISE, a tour de force album of bluegrass and acoustic roots music which landed on No Depression music journal’s “Americana Ten” and debuted at #4 on Billboard Bluegrass charts. Frazier’s compelling original songs range from hard driving to thoughtful emotive folk. A bevy of acoustic A-listers such as Béla Fleck (banjo), Sam Bush (mandolin), and Stuart Duncan (fiddle) flavor her music with the wisdom and grace she is striving to present as she captures life’s juxtapositions with her new music.
Frazier’s bond with GRAMMY-winning producer Bill Wolf, known for working with Tony Rice and Grateful Dead, was the catalyst for the significant caliber of musicianship in her recordings. GRAMMY-winning banjoist and producer Alison Brown notes, “Rebecca Frazier is an important voice among the group of women whose musical talents and creative visions are recasting bluegrass. A triple threat, she sings, plays, and writes with fire and grace, and her new record is not to be missed.” Frazier is widely known for her work with Colorado-based outfit Hit & Run, the only band to score the bluegrass-world trifecta of winning Rockygrass, Telluride and SPBGMA festival band competitions.
Avi Salloway is an acclaimed musician, activist, and educator based in Burlington, VT. He grew up learning music from American folk legends Pete and John Seeger, and from an early age, was exposed to the power of music to bring people together. Over the last 20 years, he has collaborated with musicians around the globe. He has toured with Bombino, the Tuareg guitar hero from Niger, lived in the Middle East working with Palestinian and Israeli youth musicians to transform conflict, and joined the native-led resistance at Standing Rock. Avi is the bandleader of Billy Wylder and has recorded on 15 albums and performed over 1,500 concerts across six continents—from Coachella to Carnegie Hall, Rio de Janeiro to Sydney. He has collaborated and performed with Jack Johnson, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Tinariwen, Vieux Farka Touré, David Longstreth (Dirty Projectors), Mike Gordon (Phish), The Low Anthem, Celia Woodsmith, and Pete Seeger.
Avi is the founder and musical director of All the Rivers, a global ensemble of 20+ international musicians who now call Vermont home. Singing in six languages and weaving musical traditions from around the world, All the Rivers amplifies immigrant voices, offering spaces for understanding and solidarity through performances and educational workshops. Avi’s passion for music and cross-cultural exploration has taken him all around the globe. He believes in the power of song to inspire people of all backgrounds to be the change we seek.
You may pay in full or hold your place with a deposit of 25% per person if registering 4 or more weeks before camp. Full payment is due 4 weeks before camp begins. To cancel your camp registration, email events@ashokancenter.org
• We retain $50 per person for cancellations requested until 4 weeks before camp begins, and for COVID-related cancellations made at any date.
• We retain your 25% deposit between 4 and until 2 weeks before camp.
• We retain the full registration amount within 2 weeks of camp.
MONDAY
3pm - 5pm: CAMPER ARRIVAL.
5pm: MEET THE TEACHERS
6pm: DINNER
7:30pm: JAMS & ACTIVITIES
TUESDAY-THURSDAY
8:30-9:30am: BREAKFAST
9:30-12:30pm: CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
12:30-2pm: LUNCH
2-5pm: CLASSES & WORKSHOPS
5-6pm: OPEN MIC
6-7pm: DINNER
7:30-10pm: CONCERTS & JAMS
10pm: SNACK & INFORMAL JAMMING
FRIDAY
8:30-9:30am: BREAKFAST
10am: FAREWELL GATHERING
You may choose to pay up front or pay a deposit and balance. Balance payment is due 4 weeks before the event.
Registration includes all activities and meals. Lodging is optional and camping is free.
Children under 5 attend for free (under 3 for Family Camp). Campers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
All meals are included. You may indicate your dietary restrictions when registering. We make every effort to include a range of allergen-free dishes and to inform diners of meal ingredients.
The Ashokan Center is licensed to serve beer and wine in Esopus Lodge (the main building). The bar is generally open from late afternoon to early evening. Sorry, by law, guests are prohibited from bringing their own alcoholic beverages into this licensed building.
LONGHOUSE BUNKS: Rooms hold up to 24 people and are designated women, men, or all gender. Place your belongings on a top or bottom bunk after you check in to claim it. Pillows are available, please bring your own blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and towels. There are a small number of light blankets for those bunkhouse residents who are unable to bring one of their own. If you will need us to provide one, please let us know well in advance.
PRIVATE ROOMS: There are a limited number of private rooms that must be reserved in advance at extra charge. Pillows are available, please bring your own sheets, pillowcases, and towels. There are light quilts in each private room.
CAMPSITES: Camping is available with access to bathrooms and outdoor showers. Please park by your campsite only if you plan to leave your car in place for the duration of the camp.
If you’re lodging with us please remember to bring a blanket and linens (or sleeping bag), towel, toiletries, soap, flashlight, earplugs (for light sleepers). There are light quilts in each private room and we have a small number of light blankets for bunkhouse residents who can’t bring one of their own. Let us know well in advance if you’ll need one.
Flashlight, recording device, camera (or maybe those are all your phone!)
Comfortable informal clothing for wet and dry weather. Some may also bring dressy, wild or fun clothing as well but that is up to you! There’s no laundry on site so bring enough clothes for the camp.
Incoming mail
Your Name c/o Ashokan Music & Dance 477 Beaverkill Rd, Olivebridge, NY 12461
Outgoing mail leaves each weekday at 4pm.
Music & Dance Camp Phone (845) 657-8333 x 3
Cell phone reception is available but spotty. Calls may be dropped but texts are reliably received.
High speed Wi-Fi is available in all buildings.
Physical Address: Ashokan Center, 477 Beaverkill Rd, Olivebridge, NY 12461
DRIVING DIRECTIONS Take NY State Thruway (1-87) to Kingston exit #19. From traffic circle take Route 28 West (toward Pine Hill). In 12 miles (shortly after Mobil & Citgo) turn left onto Reservoir Rd. Cross the Ashokan Reservoir, turn left at the Tee. Head down the hill, pass the first left (Rt 28A East) and merge onto 28A West. Take next left onto Beaverkill Rd. Follow Beaverkill for about one mile, then turn right into the Ashokan Center driveway and follow the signs.
AIRPORT Albany, NY (ALB) is the closest major airport (about 1.5 hours away). Public transportation is available from the airport to the Kingston bus station, where you can take a taxi to Ashokan. Or contact us at least one month before your program begins for a list of people driving from the Albany area who may be able to give you a ride.
We remain committed to the well-being of our guests, staff, and broader community. As public health guidance continues to evolve, common respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19 influenza (flu) and RSV are managed similarly.
The Ashokan Center’s policy reflects current CDC and New York State Department of Health guidance and emphasizes personal responsibility, symptom-based decision-making, and community care.
We maintain hand sanitizer stations, promote handwashing, and prioritize good ventilation and clean shared spaces.If you are experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness—including fever (>100), cough, sore throat, and fatigue—you should go home and not participate in group activities.
We continue to monitor public health guidance and will revise this policy as needed.
Refund policy: If you cancel or shorten your stay due to respiratory illness you will be eligible for a prorated refund. We appreciate your cooperation in staying home when ill.
The Ashokan Center builds community through shared experiences in nature, history, music and art. We have hosted traditional Music & Dance Camps at our 385 acre nature preserve for over 40 years. In 2020 we learned how to host them online and in 2021 we began to reimagine how to gather in person once again.
Come join the Ashokan family to celebrate, learn, connect, deepen your music, make new friends, and brighten your day. Our events are open to all folks, all ages and all orientations.
M&D Need-Based “Pay it Forward” SCHOLARSHIPS We are holding 5 deeply discounted spots (includes tuition, meals & bunk) to provide a learning opportunity to gigging musicians and music, vocal, and dance teachers who will be sharing out their newly learned skills with a wider community. We prioritize new applicants each year and notify all applicants within 1 month before camp begins.
EMAIL: events@ashokancenter.org CALL 845-657-8333 x3
Click here for answers to Frequently Asked Questions about camp!