Memphis, Tenn. — The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (The Folk Alliance) will celebrate its Twentieth Anniversary with an evening of music at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Quiet Valley Ranch, Texas, Sunday, May 25, 2008. The KF Festival salutes the Folk Alliance with a show featuring Anthony da Costa, Sara Hickman, Eliza Gilkyson, Kevin Welch and Tom Russell. “We appreciate Kerrville’s salute to our 20th anniversary and their support,” says Louis Meyers, Executive Director, Folk Alliance. For information and tickets: www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com.

XM’s live broadcast will enlarge the rare atmosphere of the outdoor event to reach across North America. “The XM15 – The Village channel is growing in listenership. We want to go and be a presence, so to share this special festival with our USA and Canada community.” Robert Aubrey Davis - Program Director XM 15 The Village

Dalis Allen, Producer of Kerrville Folk Festival, Mary Sue Twohy, XM15 Music Director, and Louis Meyers, Executive Director of the Folk Alliance will be on hand to help raise awareness of the many benefits folk music has to offer.

The Folk Alliance recently hosted an evening at the Bluebird Café in Nashville and has two shows at the Orphem in Memphis: Judy Collins, Oct. 25, 2008 and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, January 24, 2009. Along with the online directory, interactive website (folk.org), insurance and other membership benefits the Folk Alliance works with its regions to help their internal events.

The regional conferences are interesting and helpful in developing intelligent and worthwhile fans and friends who support American contemporary and traditional music and dance. Including workshops, panels and showcases, the 2008 conferences will be:

• Oct. 2-5 - SWRFA - Southwest Regional Folk Alliance (www.swrfa.com) Location: TBA
• Oct 10 - 12 - FARM GATHERING - Folk Alliance Region Midwest, (www.farmfolk.org) Techny Towers Conference & Retreat Center, Northbrook, Ill.
• Oct. 17 - 19 - SERFA – Southeast Regional Folk Alliance (www.serfa.org) Murfreesboro, TN
• Oct. 24 - 26 - The 5th Annual FAR-West Regional Conference, (www.far-west.org) Phoenix Marriott Mesa Hotel & Convention Center, Ariz.
• Nov 13-16 – NERFA - Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (www.nerfa.org) Hudson Valley Resort, Kerhonkson, NY
• FACanada – no event.

The 21st International Folk Alliance Conference will be held in Memphis, Tenn., February 17-22, 2009. Roger McGuinn will be the keynote speaker.