This fall, The Lonely Days Are Gone: Community Square Dance Tour brings free concerts and square dances to historic town halls across Vermont!
Inspired by the state’s long tradition of contra and square dancing, the tour welcomes neighbors of all ages to connect through live music, participatory dancing, and shared meals. The tour is headlined by Dorset fiddler, singer, and educator Ida Mae Specker, alongside Shrewsbury caller Sarah Gibson and The Ida Mae Specker Band.
No prior dance experience or partner is required. In addition to dances, tour stops include special events such as concerts for children and old-time music jams. All events are free and open to the public, and families are encouraged to attend.
The tour is part of the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, highlighting the important role that music, dance, and town halls have played in civic life throughout New England.
Banner image by Erika McCormick, photo of hands by Abby Raeder.
About the Artists
Ida Mae Specker is an old-time fiddler, vocalist, songwriter, educator and radio host from southern Vermont. Blending original compositions with contemporary and traditional material, she brings heartfelt new life and relevance to the living chain of American folk music.
Alongside her father, legendary Vermont fiddler John Specker, Ida Mae performs a singular take on old-time music—anchored in tradition yet audacious in originality. The late Vermont Public radio host Robert Resnik has called the Specker family “Vermont Folk Heroes.” In 2025, Specker began a collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and others to explore our connections to community and nature in New England.
More info at: www.idamaespecker.com
Sarah Gibson is a musician, dance caller, and journalist from Shrewsbury. She grew up performing world folk music with the Vermont-based Village Harmony and Northern Harmony. Sarah has studied old time music, banjo, and dance traditions in Kentucky and North Carolina, and she is currently a Vermont Traditional Arts Apprentice with the Vermont Folklife Center. She specializes in calling family-friendly gender-free
dances.
About the Fall Festival 2026
Each year, our Fall Festival celebrates National Arts and Humanities Month in October and reminds Vermonters of the impact and breadth of the humanities. This year’s Fall Festival 2026: Our Woven History recognizes the stories contained in our Vermont Reads 2026 book, Charity & Sylvia by Tillie Walden, while also commemorating the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
Please contact us at info@vermonthumanities.org for information on disability services. To request a specific accommodation, contact us at least three weeks prior to the event. Vermont Humanities strives to provide accommodations whenever possible. All event locations are ADA accessible.
