Welcome!

Bubbaville is a 501c3 non-profit, all-volunteer arts organization that supports old-time music and dance in Portland, Oregon.

Bubbaville’s mission is to educate, provide, promote and encourage the appreciation of traditional music and dance. We strive to achieve this mission through a variety of community events, including the annual Portland Old Time Music Gathering and other programs and events that instruct, inform, stage, perform, document, photograph and record this heritage.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter keep up to date on what’s happening. And stay tuned for an updated website and calendar coming soon in 2023!

Explore the Projects Tab in the menu to learn about the variety of programs we support.

Do you have a traditional music or dance project that you’d like us to support? If you think you fit our mission and have read funding guidelines, send us a request for project support.

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Now accepting nominations for the Bubba Award

The Bubba Award strives to honor a special person in the Northwest old-time community who has committed a good portion of their life to making it a fun, inspiring group to be a part of. The ideal person is someone who may often not be noticed or rewarded – perhaps because they serve behind the scenes and don’t tend to gravitate towards the spotlight – but who have contributed something unique to the community over the years.

Do you have a suggestion for a person who should be considered for the next Bubba Award? Please tell us about them by filling out a nomination form here.

 

Statement of Solidarity

As with many Americans, we at Bubbaville looked on in horror and disgust at the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We condemn not only the racism and injustice inherent in that act, but also the entrenched systems within our culture that enable and sustain these injustices.

As primarily white supporters of traditional American music and dance, we feel it’s important to acknowledge the role that the music and traditions we love play in upholding those systems of injustice, from song lyrics and origins that denigrate people of color to the erasure of contributions by people of color to the music we hold dear. We also understand that these quieter manifestations of racism and white supremacy contribute directly to a culture that devalues black and brown lives and allows such acts as the brutal murders of George Floyd, Amaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and so many others.

We can, and must, do better. We pledge to do the following, and we invite our fellow white supporters of traditional music to do the same:

  • We will acknowledge our privilege and step back, listen, and help to elevate diverse voices.
  • We will strive to be more critical of our history and traditions, while listening to, learning from, and supporting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color in our community.
  • We will strive to be more inclusive in both our organization and our events, and work to make our spaces more welcoming to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
  • We will acknowledge the vital contributions made by people of color to our music and dance traditions.
  • We will make it a priority to support the people of color who are working to carry our musical traditions forward; we will amplify their work and their voices.
  • We will call out instances of racism in our community, even when it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.
  • We will do everything we can as an organization to work for justice and equity.