Gamble Rogers Folk Festival 2025

The 30th annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, April 11, 2025, and will present three days of music and festivities over four stages at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds.

Dedicated to commemorating the life and music of Gamble Rogers, the festival is a favorite among those with a passion for balladry and the oral tradition that has shaped American folk music. Festival guests are encouraged to bring chairs, blankets, and even hammocks, and to enjoy the natural environment while listening to the music. (All stages will have some chairs or bench seating.)

The John Jorgenson Quintet returns as the headliner act in 2025, the Jontavious Willis Band is a special guest at the 2025 festival. Featured performers include Verlon Thompson, Willie Carlisle, Flagship Romance, Michael Reno Harrell, Roy Book Binder, Josh Goforth, Jubal Lee Young, the Rough and Tumble, Red & Chris Henry and Their All-Star Band, The Currys, the Wild Shiners, and the Little Mercies. Additional musicians familiar to the Gamble audience will also appear on the bill.

In addition to the musicians and groups listed above, the weekend includes other local artists, musicians from Georgia and Florida and beyond, and several young performers.

This is the festival's third year at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds, which offers plenty of parking, a camping area with bathroom and shower facilities, and food and craft vendor locations. This family-friendly festival is pet-friendly for leashed pets and will have space for kids to run and play.

Details

Admission:  

• Early bird prices are available through December 31, 2024: $75.00 for the full weekend, $30.00 for any one day, Friday, April 11, through Sunday, April 13.
• Pre-event price tickets are available from January 1 through April 11, 2025: $85.00 for the full weekend, and $35.00 for any one day Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13.
• At the gate: $120.00 for the full weekend, $40.00 for any one day, Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13.
• Camping: $100.00 for RVs and $30.00 for tents
• Purchase all tickets here.

When: Friday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13, 2025

Where: The St. Johns County Fairgrounds, 5840 FL-207 E, Elkton, Florida 32033

Camping: Anyone purchasing tickets can add on camping while the spaces are available. RV sites are $100.00 for the weekend. When sites with hookups are sold out, boondocking sites will be rented for $100.00 for the weekend. (Generators are allowed.) Tent sites are $30.00. Tenting is under the trees and showers and bathrooms are available.

Stages: The Main Stage is under the roof of the fairgrounds arena. There are four additional performance locations: the Pickers Stage, Gamble's Living Room, the Youth Stage, and the Workshop Stage on Saturday. 

See the full performance schedule below.

Mandy Lynn Corbell took the photo of Verlon Thompson in 2024.

About Gamble Rogers

Born in 1937, Gamble was the son and grandson of prominent Florida architects, but he chose a different path and became a musician. He blended music with dialogue and storytelling to captivate any audience he came before. Gamble inspired many artists, including Jimmy Buffet, to expand their capacity for storytelling and their musical talent will follow. Gamble first gained national attention as a lead singer and guitarist, both acoustic and electric, for the band, the Serendipity Singers.

He introduced and verbally set the stage for their songs when they appeared on television shows such as The Tonight Show, Hootenanny, and The Ed Sullivan Show. Gamble soon moved on to a solo career where he earned national acclaim, appearing on talk shows across the country, hosting numerous music specials, and continuing to play his whimsical, spellbinding music. At the age of 54, Gamble passed away trying to save a drowning man at Flagler Beach in Florida. He is remembered today through the Gamble Rogers Memorial Foundation and the Gamble Rogers Music Fest.

In honor of the 30th Gamble Rogers Music Festival, here is a video of Gamble performing his song, "Black Label Blues." Make sure to listen through to his guitar lead.

https://youtu.be/_B1G6uVHa5s

Complete Performance Schedule

We will post this as soon as it becomes available.