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September
4 - 7, 2025
Port Orchard (near Seattle), Washington
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Spend a long weekend away from everyday life's toil and cares with nothing to do but hang out with world-famous teachers and play the 5-string banjo, fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass, or . . .
ABC features four levels of instruction in bluegrass banjo and four levels of instruction in old-time banjo, as well as a full-time guitar track, a full-time mandolin track, and a full-time fiddle track. We even have a resident bass specialist who will teach some bass workshops.
American Banjo Camp nestles in the woods at
Pilgrim Firs Conference Center near Port Orchard, WA.
Saturday, September 8th, 2024 -- (Click photo for higher-res version.)
Or click here for a movie from 2022. . .
Our covid-19 health and refund policy is online.
We take the coronavirus dangers seriously and would rather be safe than sorry.
Please read our covid-19 Policy.
Please read our covid-19 Policy.
Attendees can stay offsite and take part in all parts of our program.
See the
Commuter Option
on the
Lodging page
for details.
Members of WAMA (Washington Acoustic Music Association),
OBA (Oregon Bluegrass Association),
or WBA (Washington Bluegrass Association)
who are new to ABC are eligible for the WAMA/OBA/WBA New Member Refund of $50 at check-in!
Our Program
The American Banjo Camp takes place on the first weekend after Labor Day each year at the Pilgrim Firs Conference Center, near Seattle, on the Puget Sound. ABC is an event for adults of all ages (students under 18 may attend if accompanied by a parent). There you can study old-time or bluegrass banjo with world-class instructors. We also have full-time programs in fiddle, mandolin, and flatpick guitar plus classes in bass, voice, and other instruments (see the schedule information). American Banjo Camp is committed to offering highly specialized workshops tailored to the expertise of our renowned faculty.
Our Format
American Banjo Camp starts mid-afternoon on Thursday and runs through lunchtime on Sunday. Our format allows us to use our time efficiently and gives us an opportunity for a bit of breathing room. Here are just some of the features:
+ A student orientation is held right after dinner on Thursday evening.
+ Thursday gives time for entertaining and informative “demonstrations” as well as our student open mic and band scramble.
+ Hands-on classes start first thing Friday morning.
We also offer a shorter Weekend-Only Option starting Friday afternoon.
Our Faculty
We pride ourselves on having teachers that are among the best in the world! It's just frosting on the cake that they're also among the world's best players. See their biographies here.
Tuition and Registration
We try to keep the tuition and other costs as low as possble while providing priceless instruction and inspiration. We can also offer a limited number of scholarships. We have forms to register for camp and to apply for a scholarship.
Our Site
ABC's site is the Pilgrim Firs Conference Center near Port Orchard, WA—on the Olympic Peninsula.
Pilgrim Firs—a “colony” of cabins and lodges nestled among tall conifers surrounding a private lake—is a sylvan but modern facility. Sleeping and bathroom facilities are clean and comfortable as are classrooms, dining hall, and social spaces such as the rooms where people can comfortably jam after hours. And if inclement weather ever comes our way, all of our events can move inside. Our location is relatively close to SEATAC airport (making for easy arrivals and departures), and it is accessible to Seattle proper.
For more specifics on our site, go to the Pilgrim Firs Website.
Camper Info
Most of the things you need to know when you're getting ready for American Banjo Camp – how to get to camp, what to bring, songs to play in jams, etc. – are on the Camp Info page.
FAQ
If you have a question, check the Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Somebody may already have asked it! If you don't have a question yet, look there and you may find one.
Workshop Videos
Videos are available from past workshops taught by ABC instructors. See the
list of ABC workshop videos.
Misc
ABC has been running since 2003; we have photos and other information about past camps on our Misc page. The Misc page also has a link to a page of FUN banjo-centric material, a link to pages that help you find banjo (and dobro) chords, and links to other music-related web sites, as well as a place to get ABC T-shirts, mugs, etc.
Directors & Onsite Coordinator
Peter Langston and Ken Perlman are the American Banjo Camp's directors; Linda Leavitt is the onsite coordinator. See the bios for the ABC directors and onsite coordinator.
Contact Us
If you have a question or suggestion, please get in touch with us. And do let us know if something doesn't appear to be working on the website. Thanks!
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This page was last modified on November 17, 2024 at 17:15:56. |
For many years ABC was sponsored by We miss you, BNL! |
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