Events generally in Northern California

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Statewide 2022
May 20, 2022 @ 6:30 pm - May 22, 2022 @ 6:00 pm
$25 – $135
Statewide 2022 – Pastoral Fandango “Pastoral Fandango” is a weekend festival of folk dance workshops and parties including
- Dance workshops with Ahmet Lüleci, Gergana Panova and Bruce Hamilton
- Live Music Played by Chubritza
- Dance performances by Gradina, Chinese Performance Group with Rebecca Tsai, and more..
- Parties and Luncheon
- Request Dancing
- Middle Eastern dinner catered by The River Front Cafe
- Meeting friends – Old and New
All events take place at the Hermann Sons Hall, Petaluma, CA.
All participants will need to show proof of vaccination or results for an FDA approved COVID test taken each day attended. Masks will be mandatory while inside the hall with the exception of teachers, band members, and performers. This decision is guided by our commitment to the health and peace of mind of our community.
Instructors and Band
Ahmet Lüleci

Ahmet Lüleci
Currently, Ahmet is the Artistic Director of Collage Dance Ensemble in Boston. His goal for this ensemble is to: “Showcase the beauty and passion of neglected dance forms and their cultural heritage.” He is also an adjudicator of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod held yearly in Wales. Read more…
Dr. Gergana Panova-Tekath

Gergana Panova
She graduated in Dance Pedagogy, Ethnochoreology, Choreography and Direction (Bulgaria), and Kinetography and Communicative Sciences (Germany) and has completed a Doctorate with “Summa cum laude” and awarded the prize “Dissertation 2004” from the Technical University of Dortmund (Germany) in the area of Cultural Philosophy. The title of her thesis is “Dance after Perestroika. The Communication between Eastern and Western Europe through the Bulgarian Folkdances.” Gergana qualified in Ethnochoreology and Communication in 2011 in Sofia.
She performed as a solo dancer and choreographer at the National Ensemble for Folksongs and Folkdances (Philip Koutev) in Sofia from 1988 to 1994, was a Choreographer for different Bulgarian and international Theater Projects, was a Senior Fellow and Associate Professor for Ethnochoreology at the Institute for Art Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia, and has lectured at the Technical University of Dortmund, the Humboldt University, Berlin, the University in Zurich, the University of Music, Vienna, and the New Bulgarian University, Sofia.
Starting in 1994, she has conducted over 300 seminars and summer academies in folk dances in Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Israel, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, and the United States.
She has published numerous articles and has written two books on various aspects of Bulgarian traditional dance. Besides organizing annual summer seminars in Bulgaria, Gergana has taught workshops in many countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Israel, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Brazil, Argentina and North America. Read more…
Bruce Hamilton

Bruce Hamilton
Chubritza – Traditional Balkan and International Folk Music
Chubritza is well known throughout California as they have been featured in several dance camps as well as past Statewide Festivals. They are known for their variety and mixture of international musical tastes and textures, while retaining a Balkan and Eastern European emphasis. Chubritza is Janet Finney-Krull, Meadow Lo, Jim Case, Linnea Mandell, Rick Kruse, and Craig Kurumada.Read more…
Hotels
Statewide 2022 will be happening in Petaluma the weekend prior Memorial Day Weekend. Motel prices will be going through the roof on that weekend so please book your rooms early. Only one hotel has been willing to contract with us (so far)
Hampton Inn and Suites
The Hampton Inn and Suites in Rohnert Park for $195/night is a high-end hotel with beautiful rooms, and it includes free wi-fi, a fridge, a microwave, a couple of free upgrades to a king suite with a pull-out couch, and a complete hot breakfast (eggs, waffles, fruit, juice, yoghurt, oatmeal, etc.). The breakfast is self-serve in a motel style manner, since the hotel does not have a restaurant. To reserve, call 855-283-5831 or use the button below. Mention discount code “FDF” when you call.
Rates for May 19 through May 24 will honored until one month before the event, April 19th.
Others
Other hotels close to Petaluma that we researched and visited and are still available at reasonable rates (search the Internet for the best rates) if booked early. Unfortunately, the only hotel within walking distance is Hotel Petaluma on Kentucky Street.
- Hotel Petaluma – 707-559-3393
- Metro Hotel and Cafe in Petaluma – 707-773-4900
- America’s Best Value Inn in Petaluma – 707-795-9000
- The Days Inn in Novato – 415-897-7111
- Budget Inn in Rohnert Park – 707-584-1305
- America’s Best Value Inn in Novato – 415-892-7500
- Motel 6 in Petaluma – 707-765-0333
Visit Petaluma
Statewide 2021 will be held in the charming town of Petaluma in Northern California’s Sonoma County. Petaluma, once known as “the egg basket of the world”, continues to have a strong connection to its farming past—more recently, with the planting of vineyards which produce some of the finest wines in the world. Petaluma, and the larger Sonoma County of which it is a part, is just an hour north of San Francisco, and offers visitors so many options to enjoy “the bounty of the County” that you may want to enjoy an extended stay—or plan a time to revisit this beautiful part of the world.
If you saw the movies American Graffiti or Peggy Sue Got Married, then you have seen a bit of Petaluma. And if you are a Hitchcock fan, then a trip to the towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay may suit you fine—come see the birds!—or visit the library in Santa Rosa, where Uncle Charlie left a “shadow of a doubt“.
Sonoma County extends from just west of Napa all the way to the Pacific Ocean. You can visit the ocean and the redwoods easily in one afternoon. Armstrong Redwoods has very accessible trails, and a stroll among these ancient giants can be enjoyed by all ages. Or, if you prefer some retail therapy, coupled with charming restaurants, visit the town of Healdsburg a half-hour north.
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Historic Petaluma
Tour historic Petaluma. -
Local Wineries
Visit a local winery. -
Local Parks
Visit a local park. -
Things to Do
Plan a trip to the coast, the redwoods, beer tasting, places to hike or more.
Driving Directions to Hermann Sons Hall, Petaluma
Easiest: Hwy 101 to Washington St. to N. Webster St. to HSH
From the South
Exit Hwy 101 at East Washington St. / Central Petaluma
Turn left at the stop light, continue straight on Washington St. (becomes Bodega Ave) for 1.8 miles to N. Webster St.
Turn left on N. Webster St., continue 0.3 miles to intersection with Western Ave.
HSH is on the corner of Western and N. Webster
From the North
Exit Hwy 101 at East Washington St. / Central Petaluma
Turn right at the stop light, continue straight on Washington St. (becomes Bodega Ave) for 1.8 miles to N. Webster St.
Turn left on N. Webster St., continue 0.3 miles to intersection with Western Ave.
HSH is on the corner of Western and N. Webster
Alternate route: From Hwy 101 via Petaluma Boulevard
From the South
Exit Hwy 101 at exit 427A – Petaluma Blvd. South
Turn right at first stop light, then immediately left at the second stop light
Continue straight on Petaluma Blvd S. for 2.1 miles to Western Ave
Turn left on Western Ave and continue for 0.6 miles
HSH is on the corner of Western and N. Webster
From the North
Exit Hwy 101 at exit 476 – Petaluma Blvd. North / Penngrove
Turn right at stop light, continue straight on Petaluma Blvd N. for 3.0 miles to Washington St.
Turn right onto Washington St.
Continue straight on Washington St (becomes Bodega Ave) for 0.7 mi to N. Webster St.
Turn left on N. Webster St. and continue 0.3 miles to intersection with Western Ave.
HSH is on the corner of Western and N Webster
Registration
Lodging should be purchased separately. Recommended group pricing available at Hampton Inn and Suites, Rohnert Park.Children under 13 are admitted free with a paying adult. Young adults aged 13-21 will receive a 50% discount, but may be required to volunteer from 1-2 hours during the festival. Work scholarships available. For details contact Marina Troost.
Mail-In Registration
Print and complete registration form and send with your check (made payable to Folk Dance Federation) to:
Statewide Registrar
Sabine Zappe
153 Race Street
San Jose, CA 95126.
Federation members can add or update their upcoming dance events to the calendar by sending event details to events@folkdance.com