Gamble Rogers Folk Festival 2026

The 31st annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 10, 2026, and presents three days of music and festivities over four stages at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds.

The Festival

Dedicated to commemorating the life and music of Gamble Rogers, the festival is a favorite among those with a passion for balladry and the oral tradition that has shaped American folk music. You are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and even hammocks, and to enjoy the natural environment while listening to the music. (All stages will have some chairs or bench seating.)

Some of the 2026 Performers

In December, the festival announced several of the national acts slated to perform in 2026: 

• Dom Flemons with his band The Traveling Wildfires
• Verlon Thompson
• Alexa Rose
• Ed Snodderly
• Red and Christopher Henry & Their All-Star Band
• Frank Lindamood
• Hannah Stokes Band
• The Dunehoppers
• Taildraggers Ultralight
• Larry Mangum

In addition to the musicians and groups listed above, the weekend includes other local artists and musicians from Georgia, Florida, and beyond.

More about the 2026 Festival

Workshop with Dom Flemons 

On Saturday, at 4:30 p.m. at the Gamble's Living Room Stage, Dom Flemons presents a workshop called Discovering 100 Years of American Roots Music.

Songwriters in the Round

On Sunday, the Gamble Rogers Festival presents two Songwriter Rounds

• Noon to 1:00 p.m.: Mike Elias, Folk is People, and Bert Hodge
• 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.: Doug Spears, Chuck Hardwicke, and Katherine Archer

See the full schedule of musicians at the bottom of this page.

About the Venue

This is the festival's third year at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, which offers plenty of parking, a camping area with bathroom and shower facilities, and food and craft vendor locations. This family-friendly festival is pet-friendly for leashed pets and will have space for kids to run and play.

Details

In 2026, tickets go on sale in mid-December, and the early-bird special prices will be available until February 9, 2026

Admission Tickets are available on Eventbrite:  

• Three-day Pass: $125.00
• Friday Only: $40.00
• Saturday Only: $55.00
• Sunday Only: $40.00

Camping Tickets are available on Eventbrite: 

• $75.00 for an RV with no power or generator; it does have a water hook-up.
• $125.00 for an RV with 30 amp and water
• $100.00 for an RV with 30 amp and no water
• $30.00 for primitive camping with a tent or small RV. No power and no water. Showers and restrooms are availble.

When: Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, 2026

Where: The St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 5840 FL-207 E, Elkton, Florida 32033

Camping: Anyone purchasing tickets can add on camping while the spaces are available. Tenting is under the trees, and showers and bathrooms are available.

Stages: The Oklawaha Stage is under the roof of the fairgrounds arena. There are six additional performance locations: the Bean Creek Stage, Gamble's Living Room, Erindale's Loading Ramp, the Youth Stage, and the Workshop Stage. 

See the full performance schedule below.

Gail Carson took the photo of Red and Christopher Henry & Their All-Star Band.

About Gamble Rogers

Born in 1937, Gamble was the son and grandson of prominent Florida architects, but he chose a different path and became a musician. He blended music with dialogue and storytelling to captivate any audience he came before. Gamble inspired many artists, including Jimmy Buffett, to expand their capacity for storytelling, saying that their musical talent would follow. Gamble first gained national attention as a lead singer and guitarist, both acoustic and electric, for the band, the Serendipity Singers.

He introduced and verbally set the stage for their songs when they appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show, Hootenanny, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Gamble soon moved on to a solo career where he earned national acclaim, appearing on talk shows across the country, hosting numerous music specials, and continuing to play his whimsical, spellbinding music. At the age of 54, Gamble passed away trying to save a drowning man at Flagler Beach in Florida. He is remembered today through the Gamble Rogers Memorial Foundation and the Gamble Rogers Music Fest.

In honor of the 30th Gamble Rogers Music Festival, here is a video of Gamble performing his song, "Black Label Blues." Make sure to listen to his guitar lead.

https://youtu.be/_B1G6uVHa5s

This next video is a 2013 tribute to Gamble by the band Cracker the Box, featuring Mr. Aullie. Their tribute to Gamble, "The Manner of the Man," was recorded in Medusa Studios.