2025 Turtle Hill Folk Festival

Golden Link presents the 54th Annual Turtle Hill Folk Festival on September 12, and 13, 2025

Annual Golden Link event features concerts, workshops, singing,
jamming, food, and fun.

Rochester, N.Y.—Enjoy two days of folk music at the 54th Annual Turtle Hill Folk Festival, presented by the Golden Link Folk Singing Society at the Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Rd., in Rochester, NY on September 12 and 13, 2025. The festival will feature evening concerts by Ana Egge, The Brothers Blue, Gathering Time, Joe Jencks. Tickets to the festival go on sale on July 15 on the Golden Link website.

At Turtle Hill, the audience not only gets to see these performers on stage, but also interact with them during workshops and small presentations during the day on Saturday, with many informal opportunities to sing and play music together. The festival is excited to have members of the Submarine School of music participating in activities again this year. The festival will include the traditional grand finale Saturday night with all of the performers. There will be late-night singing and jamming, and an early singaround on both days for people who prefer not to stay for the ones after the evening concerts.

Friday, September 12, 7:00–10:00 pm—Concert features (in performance order):

Ana Egge: Ana Egge is a singer-songwriter and apprentice luthier from Brooklyn, NY. She has released 13 studio albums, playing her homemade guitar. Egge’s music has been praised by critics for its honesty, vulnerability, and beauty. She was born in Canada, and raised in North Dakota, and has toured extensively throughout North America and Europe. Egge is the subject of a 2015 documentary film, Bright Shadow. She has been featured in Billboard, Rolling Stone, and on NPR to name a few. Lucinda Williams calls her “the folk Nina Simone.”

The Brothers Blue: A Finger Lakes trio of songwriters that flirt with Bluegrass, Celtic, and swampy Cajun country sounds as they weave three-part harmonies over a tapestry of fiddle, banjo, and guitar virtuosity. Together they spread the joy of fiddle tunes, the strength of community, and the living tradition of folk music.

Saturday, September 13, 7:00–10:00 pm—Concert features (in performance order):

Gathering Time: For over a decade, Long Island-based folk-rock/Americana/AAA trio Gathering Time (Stuart Markus, Gerry McKeveny, and since 2022 Christine Sweeney) has toured both in the US and internationally, mixing new interpretations of both '60s and '70s classics and old traditional tunes with their strong original songs. presented with an acoustic-electric alchemy all their own.

Joe Jencks: is an 25-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and celebrated vocalist based in Chicago. Merging conservatory training with his Irish roots and working-class upbringing, Joe delivers engaged musical narratives filled with heart, soul, groove and grit. Having penned several #1 Folksongs including the ever-relevant Lady of The Harbor, Jencks was also co-founder of the harmony trio, Brother Sun. From Festivals like Falcon Ridge, Kerrville, Mariposa, and Old Songs, to venues like Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, Jencks has enthralled diverse audiences with his approachable style. Joe is noted for his unique merging of musical beauty, social consciousness, and spiritual exploration. Blending well-crafted instrumentals and vivid songwriting, Jencks serves it all up with a lyric baritone voice that has the edgy richness of a good sea-salt caramel.

Festival Site, and Food: Golden Link’s Turtle Hill Folk Festival will be held at Greece Baptist Church, 1230 Long Pond Road, Rochester, NY, a short drive south of Rochester. All facilities are wheelchair accessible. Greece Baptist Church is an alcohol-free, non-smoking, pet-free campus (except for service animals). Food will be available throughout the festival. Friday supper, Saturday lunch, and dinner will be a full buffet with vegetarian options, catered by Giuseppe's restaurant. There are also many nearby restaurants very close to Greece Baptist Church if you prefer different food choices. There will also be chili and cornbread on Friday evening. Saturday lunch will include subs from Wegmans. We are asking people to purchase festival meals in advance on our website, along with your tickets at a discounted price. This will allow us to have a more accurate idea of the number of meals to have available. You will be able to purchase food at the festival, but the prices will be higher and there may be limited availability. Deadline for pre-purchased meals and tickets is September 7.

Tickets: Tickets will be available at www.goldenlink.org, with a discount for Golden Link members. Online registration begins July 15 and runs until September 7. Tickets will be sold online, and also at the gate.

Ticket Prices

Founded in 1971, the Golden Link Folk Singing Society is dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving folk music in the Rochester area. Golden Link is a volunteer-operated and member-supported 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts, cultural, and educational organization.