GottaGetGon 2023
The GottaGetGon is a family-friendly folk music festival put on by the volunteers of the Pick-in' and Singin' Gatherin' every Memorial Day Weekend at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa. It welcomes adults, teens, and children to enjoy a weekend sharing music and friendship.
You can purchase discounted tickets in advance or full price at the gate. Purchase tickets online (a small processing fee will be added) at https://buytickets.at/pickinsingingatherin/890591
If you prefer not to pay online, print this order form and mail it with your check (follow instructions on form).
Four headliners will offer formal concerts and workshops. Everyone participates in casual jamming on the campgrounds throughout the festival. All concerts and workshops are under cover in 4H buildings and pavilions so it’s on, rain or shine.
Our Headliners are:
Hubby Jenkins
Noted old-time musician, member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops and Rhiannon Giddens band, Jenkins got his start busking in the NYC subways. These days he tours the country and the world sharing his knowledge and love of old-time American music through dynamic solo performances and engaging workshops. http://www.hubbyjenkins.com/
Robin and Linda Williams
For more than 40 years, the Williamses have been performing a robust blend of bluegrass, folk, old-time and acoustic country for audiences large and small. Mainstays on “A Prairie Home Companion,” Robin and Linda are also noted songwriters whose songs have been recorded by many other artists, from Tom T. Hall to Mary Chapin Carpenter.
https://www.redhouserecords.com/artists/robin-linda-williams/
Cate Clifford
A typically unaccompanied singer whose repertoire teems with a wide range of traditional and trad-adjacent songs across
styles and regions, from Appalachian to English, children’s rhymes to songs of the sea, ballads to protest songs.
https://cate-clifford.com/
Craig Werth
Multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter known for his award-winning work with David Francey. Craig appeared with Francey at the GottaGetGon in 2011, and returns this year as a featured performer. https://www.craigwerth.com/
John Kirk and Trish Miller
This well-known local duo will lead a band and call the Saturday Night Barn Dance. https://johnandtrish.com/
Check out the Concert and Workshop Schedule to see your favorite performers.
There will be a Potluck Dinner Friday evening, a Barn Dance Saturday night with live band, led by John Kirk and Trish Miller, caller. Join us for a Sunday Morning Gospel Sing and an a Capella Sing Sunday at dusk.
Camping is included and encouraged with your weekend fee. Please be sure to follow the State and Fairground regulations. Electric hookups are available. There is plenty of camping space - but not a lot of shade, so plan accordingly. Food trucks will be available on site, and downtown Ballston Spa and environs have lots of dining options.
State and Fairground Regulations
Tent/Camper Placements.
New York health and fire codes require that:
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Tents must be 10 feet apart. Pace it out or use a length of string available at the gate.
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There are clear roadways among tents to allow for emergency service access. These are clearly marked. Do not place tents in marked roadways.
Save yourself the hassle of having to move to correct an error.
Dogs
No dogs are allowed on the fairgrounds at any time with the exception of certified service dogs, and they must be leashed and have proof of current rabies vaccination
COVID Policy
Everyone makes their own decisions about masking, vaccination and distancing when they go food shopping, to church and so forth, and our festival is no different. We hope all festival-goers who can, are vaccinated and boosted. Wearing masks mitigates infection risk both to yourself and to others, as does distancing where possible. When making these choices, remember that some concert-goers have health conditions that increase their risks associated with COVID. Because of their careers, the performers are also particularly vulnerable. Though most of our buildings are somewhat ventilated, we will keep a gap of 20 feet between main stage and audience, and 15 feet in the smaller venues. When encroaching on that space, be sure to mask up. We are a caring organization and we expect you to show that caring in your festival choices. If you are sick, do not come to the festival. If you become sick during the festival, please leave to protect others.