The St. Johns Cultural Council and the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival have partnered to present a new concert series, Live from The Waterworks, celebrating the legendary recording artist Gamble Rogers, whose balladry and storytelling shaped American folk music. Events will be held on the third Saturday of each month from October through June.
Nationally known recording artists and fingerstyle guitar virtuosos will start the festival with Ruth Wyand opening for Doyle Dykes at The Waterworks, 184 San Marco Avenue. The venue was built in 1898 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Proceeds from the concert series will support the annual Gamble Rogers Music Festival, a key three-day event held in the Spring and in its 27h year.
“We are thrilled to present performances by some of America’s finest musicians at The Waterworks. Ticket prices are affordable for St. Augustine residents and visitors and we are honored to offer an outstanding line-up in collaboration with the Gamble Rogers Music Festival,” said Christina Parrish Stone, Executive Director of the St. Johns Cultural Council. “Our nonprofit cultural organization continues to raise awareness about Gamble Rogers, his connections to St. Johns County, and the contributions he made to the music scene here and across the country,” she said. “We’ll share stories about Gamble at the concerts and with local students who attend related master classes.”
According to Lolly Rogers, Gamble Rogers’ daughter, she is pleased to recognize arts education which is vital to the missions of both the Cultural Council and the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival. “Festival events continue to celebrate a man who is so near and dear to so many people in the community,” said Rogers. “The music will honor the specific genre of composition as it is crucial to our American history and the legacy of my father who passed away 31 years ago. In his 30-year career, he is one of the South’s most well-known folk musicians.”
The concert schedule includes Dykes with Wyand on Saturday, October 22. On Saturday, November 19, Jim Carrick and Charley Simmons with Charlie Robertson will perform their troubadour and fingerstyle guitar performances. On Saturday, December 17, Michael Reno Harrell with Bob Patterson will perform their balladry and folk songs.
Doors open at 7 PM and the acts perform at 7:30 PM. Additional musician information, event schedules, and tickets are available here.
Ticket prices for the first three performances begin at $20 and may be purchased through Eventbrite and at https://gamblerogersfest.org. Concert series packages are also available and include preferred seating and complimentary beverages.
The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival Inc. is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit charitable organization in St. Augustine and is established to commemorate Americana folk music.
