Welcome!

Bubbaville is a 501c3 non-profit, all-volunteer arts organization that supports old-time music and dance in Portland, Oregon.  Bubbaville was organized out of the Portland Old Time Music Gathering, a 100% volunteer organized music gathering that since 1999 has brought over 1,500 traditional musicians fans and practitioners together each year for concerts, square dances, workshops and jam sessions that celebrate traditional American string band music. 

Our primary project continues to be the annual Portland Old Time Music Gathering, however, our goal is to support a growing variety of events and projects that benefit Portland’s traditional music and dance community.  During Covid, our main support has gone to the Quarantine Happy Hour.

Check out our CALENDAR to keep up to date on what’s happening.

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.

Thanks to our artist Erin Chmela for designing our 2021 poster

The Portland Old Time Music Gathering online edition has come and gone and it was a huge, wonderful success!!  Seeing everyone who tuned in from near and far was truly heartwarming.  We have a wonderful community!!  Click on the Old Time Gathering tab above to see updates. You can still see all the info for the 2020 Gathering at the Gathering Page.

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.