LISTEN. LEARN. PLAY.

January 8 - 11, 2026

Winter Village Music Camp is a fun and inspiring winter weekend of LISTENING, LEARNING & PLAYING in a friendly and inclusive setting.

LISTEN

Winter Village’s faculty concerts are a highlight of the camp. Open to the public and always a great time! Join us in downtown Ithaca on Thursday night for the Camp’s Opening Concert. The popular Saturday Night All-Faculty Concert features all camp faculty in a series of short performances and spontaneous collaborations. On Sunday afternoon at 4:00 pm, we say goodbye to yet another year of Winter Village at the Closing Concert.

LEARN

Winter Village Music Camp offers more than 100 workshops on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, ukulele, singing and songwriting taught by our 30 plus person faculty. Workshops explore a variety of styles including Bluegrass, Old Time, Irish, New England, Cajun, Scandinavian, Swing, Folk, Americana and more. Singing and songwriting workshops are offered along with sessions on how to practice more effectively and enjoyably.  

PLAY

For many, the most fun and important part of the camp is playing with others. So let’s have some fun and play together. There will be many opportunities for jamming in the styles you enjoy, and at a level and speed where you feel comfortable playing with others.

Learn More

What to expect at Winter Village Music Camp

Learn More

This year, WVMC is incorporating a bluegrass jamming class based on the Wernick Method into our busy workshop schedule on Friday at 2:45pm. This class will be geared for registered Winter Village campers who are new to jamming and want to learn basic essential jamming skills and build confidence to join in jamming fun!  Wernick Method instructor Austin Scelzo will introduce the Wernick Method principles during the first hour.  In the second hour, players will be divided into small groups that will be coached by Rick Manning and Paul Fairbanks, also certified Wernick Method instructors. This is a great opportunity to experience the Wernick Method and there is no additional fee associated with the class!  If you are interested, you must sign up in advance by visiting their site here and clicking the registration button.  You will receive electronic materials from them that will help you prepare for the class.

What participants are saying...

  • I always look forward to this excellent weekend in midwinter. Plush accommodations, good food, the greatest music and teachers - and the price is very competitive with my favorite North Carolina weeks.

    – James

  • Congratulations on a tremendous weekend! Not only was it a relaxing yet stimulating and fun weekend, but my fiddling improved dramatically! I loved having several fiddle teachers- different perspectives and advice. It was an honor to have a Master's Class with Alex H.

    – Rose

  • Many thanks for a wonderful, and thoughtfully organized, event! The accommodations were fantastic, but it was the music and fun that really stand out. What a wonderful group of teachers and campers.

    – Paula

  • Winter Village is an excellent place to learn and grow and fosters friendships and networking among musicians. A unique camp with a comfortable mix. Each year I take away some great concepts, groundwork, and inspiration.

    – Reyna

  • The Winter Village Camp was an incredibly inspiring and invaluable musical experience. I thought I had arrived at the camp prepared to learn, but I never anticipated how much I'd be learning. Added bonus; two of the camp instructors are now two of my favorite musicians.

    – Jihan

  • I wanted to let you know what a wonderful experience I had at Winter Village Music Camp. I took four sessions with Bruce Molsky, two with Liz Knowles, and two mandolin workshops, all of which were extremely informative and helpful to me as I work to expand my own musical chops.

    – Kit