Santa is Real: A Holiday Concert Benefiting the Louisville Folk School
Saturday, December 20, 2025
Doors 6:30
Show 7:30
Show is standing room only unless you purchase a table or seat.
Louisville Folk School is a grassroots nonprofit with a mission to engage the folk music traditions of Kentuckians through education and performance and to build on the rich cultural history of the bluegrass state, while creating community through the arts.
Their annual holiday fundraising concert, Santa is Real, brings together the joy of folk music, community, and celebration. The night includes a bourbon raffle, concert, and libations. LFS is proud to announce a lineup of locally and nationally renowned artists who showcase the diversity of folk music in our community. Performers this year include:
Maggie Halfman featuring Ellie Ruth
- Maggie Halfman is a Louisville-based singer/songwriter who uses everyday experiences as inspiration for her vulnerable music. She strives for a mix of modernity and timelessness, nostalgia and yearning. She will be joined by Ellie Ruth, an award-winning violinist/violist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer/songwriter also based in Louisville.
Turtle Mountain String Band
- A new generation of old-time talent, Turtle Mountain is Levon, Maple, and Avett Harvey. These three siblings from Winchester, KY, started playing music together after attending Cowan Creek Mountain Music School for the first time in 2023. Since that summer, they’ve grown roots in the Cowan community, won first place in the youth traditional band contest at the 2025 Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival, and shared their love of old time fiddle music and bluegrass whenever and wherever they can.
Fernando Moya & Friends
- Fernando Moya, a native of Quito, Ecuador, is a skilled master and maker of indigenous Andean instruments, including the kena, rondador, and sampoña; he is also a skilled strings and percussion player. Fernando is passionate about keeping the music of the Andes alive, sharing the importance of folk traditions and cultural heritage, and giving audiences a deeper perspective on the resilience of his people.
Three French Hens
- Dane Waters, Stephanie Nilles, and Jannell Canerday are Three French Hens, Louisville’s own low-decibel, divine-feminine, avant-garde holiday trio, specializing in interpretations of the yuletide season. These hens bring a fusion of jazz, folk, and chamber music sure to surprise and delight.
Louisville Folk School Teachers & Special Guests
- The night will also feature surprise performances from our own collection of talented teachers!
The night also includes a bourbon raffle that supports Louisville Folk School’s mission to preserve and share Kentucky’s folk music traditions. Louisville Folk School’s KY charitable gaming exemption number is EXE0002851.
The proceeds from Santa is Real support LFS’s free education and community programs, such as in-school performances, student showcases, community concerts, and more. By sponsoring the event or purchasing tickets, you can support their work.
