Gamble Rogers Folk Festival 2025
30 years celebrating Gamble by promoting American folk music and songwriters.
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival 2025
(904) 794-4163 West of St. Augustine, past I-95
5840 SR 207
Elkton, FL 32033
The 30th annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, and will present 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. Festival guests 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.)
The John Jorgenson Quintet returns as the headliner act in 2025, the Jontavious Willis Band is a special guest at the 2025 festival. Featured performers include Verlon Thompson, Willie Carlisle, Flagship Romance, Michael Reno Harrell, Roy Book Binder, Josh Goforth, Jubal Lee Young, the Rough and Tumble, Red & Chris Henry and Their All-Star Band, The Currys, the Wild Shiners, and the Little Mercies. Additional musicians familiar to the Gamble audience will also appear on the bill.
In addition to the musicians and groups listed above, the weekend includes other local artists, musicians from Georgia and Florida and beyond, and several young performers. See the full schedule of performers and workshops below.
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
Admission:
- Early bird prices are available through December 31, 2024: $75.00 for the full weekend, $30.00 for any one day, Friday, April 11, through Sunday, April 13.
- Pre-event price tickets are available from January 1 through April 11, 2025: $85.00 for the full weekend, and $35.00 for any one day Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13.
- At the gate: $120.00 for the full weekend, $40.00 for any one day, Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13.
- Camping: $100.00 for RVs and $30.00 for tents
- Purchase all tickets here.
When: Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13, 2025
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. RV sites are $100.00 for the weekend. When sites with hookups are sold out, boondocking sites will be rented for $100.00 for the weekend. (Generators are allowed.) Tent sites are $30.00. 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.
Mandy Lynn Corbell took the photo of Verlon Thompson in 2024.
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 Buffet, to expand their capacity for storytelling and their musical talent will 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 through 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. Mr. Aullie performs at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at the 2025 Gamble Rogers Festival.
Complete Performance Schedule
Friday, April 11
| The Oklawaha Stage | |
|---|---|
| 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. | The Little Mercies |
| 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Jubal Lee Young |
| 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. | Flagship Romance |
| 8:30 - 10:00 p.m. | Willie Carlisle |
Saturday, April 12
| The Oklawaha Stage | Bean Creek Stage | Gamble's Living Room | Erindale's Loading Ramp (Often Songwriters' Circle) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 - Noon | The Rough & Tumble | 11:00 - Noon | Little Mercies | 11:00 - Noon | Jeanie Fitchen | 11:00 - Noon | Susan Brown, Aslyn McTaggart, Don Cooper, Lauren Gilliam |
| Noon - 1:00 | Grant Peeples & the People's Republic | Noon - 1:00 | Thick & Thin String Band | Noon - 1:00 | Chuck Hardwicke | Noon - 1:00 | Kim Blackburn, Alana DeBow, Kirk Whalen, Lee Hunter |
| 1:00 - 2:00 | Willi Carlisle | 1:00 - 2:00 | Passerine | 1:00 - 2:00 | The Ashley Gang | 1:00 - 2:00 | Joe Mark, Katherine Archer, Emmett Carlisle, Bridge Street Vibe |
| 2:15 - 3:15 | Michael Reno Harrell | 2:00 - 3:00 | The Currys | 2:00 - 3:00 | Jubal Lee Young | 2:00 - 3:00 | Doug Spears & The Florida Cracker Collective |
| 3:30 - 4:30 | Wild Shiners | 3:00 - 4:00 | North Florida Taildraggers | 3:00 - 4:00 | Roy Book Binder | 3:00 - 4:00 | Rachel Grubb |
| 4:45 - 6:00 | Verlon Thompson | 4:00 - 5:00 | Flagship Romance & The Rough & Tumble | 4:00 - 5:00 | Red & Chris Henry & Their All-Star Band | 4:00 - 5:00 | Mr. Aullie |
| 7:00 - 8:15 | The Jontavious Willis Band | --- | --- | -- |
| 8:30 - 10:00 | The John Jorgenson Quintet | --- | --- | -- |
Saturday, YoungFolk Stage
| Time | Performer | Time | Performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 a.m. | Gamble Rogers Middle School Jazz Band | 2:00 p.m. | Victoria Griffin |
| 11:30 a.m. | Murray Middle School Guitar Ensemble | 2:30 p.m. | Jenkins Sisters |
| noon | Sydney Keathley | 3:00 p.m. | Ben Kiser |
| 12:30 p.m. | Ben Edwards & Ian Perez | 3:30 p.m. | Nora Bear |
| 1:00 p.m. | Alivia Hunter | 4:00 p.m. | Faith Alene |
| 1:30 p.m. | Lane Hendrix | 4:30 p.m. | Jam |
Sunday, April 13
| The Oklawaha Stage | Bean Creek Stage | Gamble's Living Room | Erindale's Loading Ramp |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 - Noon | The Bullard Brothers | 11:00 - Noon | Skin 'n Bonz | 11:00 - Noon | Frank Lindamood | 11:00 - Noon | Corey Hall |
| Noon - 1:00 | Red & Chris Henry & Their All-Star Band | Noon - 1:00 | Uncle Mosie | Noon - 1:00 | Verlon Thompson | Noon - 1:00 | Marianne Lerbs |
| 1:00 - 2:00 | The Currys | 1:00 - 2:00 | Sawmill Jam | 1:00 - 2:00 | Michael Reno Harrell & Josh Goforth | 1:00 - 2:00 | John Winters & Mark Richey |
| 2:00 - 3:00 | Chelsea Saddler | 2:00 - 3:00 | The Whitecaps | 2:00 - 3:00 | The Peyton Brothers | 2:00 - 3:00 | Aslyn & the Naysayer |
| 3:00 - 4:00 | Josh Goforth | 3:00 - 4:00 | Wild Shiners | 3:00 - 4:00 | Larry Mangum | 3:00 - 4:00 | Better Half |
| 4:00 - 5:00 | Roy Book Binder | 4:00 - 5:00 | The Driftwoods w/ Tim Higgins | 4:00 - 5:00 | Bob Patterson | 4:00 - 4:30 | The Rogers Family 4:30 - 5:00 | Ben Kiser |
| 5:00 - 6:00 | Charlie Robertson | --- | --- | --- |
Sunday, YoungFolk Stage
| Time | Performer | Time | Performer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11:00 a.m. | SAHS Americana | 2:00 p.m. | Little Mercies |
| 11:30 a.m. | Eowyn Sage Rubino | 2:30 p.m. | Rogers Family |
| noon | Jesse Sawyer | 3:00 p.m. | Varella String Band |
| 12:30 p.m. | Benjamin Brown | 3:30 p.m. | Eloise Arnold |
| 1:00 p.m. | Alivia Hunter & Victoria Griffin | 4:00 p.m. | Manchild |
| 1:30 p.m. | Elcie Stella | 4:30 p.m. | Jam |
Workshops
Saturday, April 12
- 11:00 a.m. to noon — Mandolin for Everybody, Red and Chris Henry
- Noon - 1:00 p.m. — Songwriting, Verlon Thompson
- 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. — Making Music with Your Partner, Flagship Romance and Rough & Tumble
- 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. — How to Be Yourself on Stage, Josh Goforth
- 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. — Banjo Magic, Eric Searcy, Scott Anderson, Frank Lindamood, and Paige Bechtold
Sunday, April 13
- 11:00 a.m. - noon — Telling a Good Story, Michael Reno Harrell
- Noon - 1:00 p.m. — Fingerstyle Guitar, Jim Carrick, Charley Simmonds, and Rick Kuncicky
- 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. — Secrets to Song Arrangement, Passerine
- 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. — Herstory, Jeannie Fitchen
- 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. — Fiddlin' Around, Tim Higgins and Sarah Stovall
Gamble Rogers Folk Festival 2025
(904) 794-4163 West of St. Augustine, past I-95
5840 SR 207
Elkton, FL 32033
Admission | Ticket Prices
| Ticket Type | Online (ends 4/11) | At the Gate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Day Ticket | $100.00 | $120.00 |
| Friday | $35.00 | $40.00 |
| Saturday | $65.00 | $70.00 |
| Sunday | $35.00 | $40.00 |
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