For many years, the Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival has been a yearly gathering of fiddlers, cellists, mandolin & guitar & banjo players, and singers to meet, jam, learn, listen, and have fun. It's both friendly and diverse, and covers many traditional musical styles. This year, it's Nov 13-16, 2025, in Westford, MA, at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center.

As a registered attendee, you'll have an amazing choice of 300 workshops, 20 concerts, and 40 artist-led jam sessions. Teaching at Fiddle Hell is primarily by ear although sheet music is sometimes available. There are many informal jam locations in the hallways.

We’re broadening our focus to the four biggest areas that can hold traditional musicians back — and offering practical, encouraging workshops and jams to help you move forward.

Musicianship Challenges – Take your musical skills, technique, and style to the next level
Thinking Challenges – Strengthen how you learn, remember, and understand tunes
Physical Challenges – Play comfortably, avoid injury, and play with less pain
Inspiration Challenges – Boost your joy, confidence, and connection to music

Whatever your instrument or experience, you’ll leave Fiddle Hell with more confidence, less frustration, and a renewed sense of possibility.

Even though FH is in person, attendees are encouraged to use Whova, an online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees or artists.

Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival. Attendees have used Whova at Fiddle Hell In-Person for the last 3 years, and at all seven of the Fiddle Hell Online events we've had, and really like it.

Thursday, Nov 13: Registration opens 11AM, with the first session at 12:30PM. Last official session ends at 11:30PM, but jamming keeps going!

Friday, Nov 14: Registration opens 8:30AM, with the first session at 9:30AM. Last official session ends at 11:30PM. Jam all night!

Saturday, Nov 15: Registration opens 8:30AM, with the first session at 9:30AM. Last official session ends at 11:30PM, but the jamming keeps going in many locations.

Sunday, Nov 16: Registration opens 8:30AM, with the first session at 9:30AM. Last official session ends at 6PM. Time to pack up, but the glow remains!

Many attendees commute to Fiddle Hell. There's a lot of free parking at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center, 219 Littleton Rd, Westford, MA.

Many attendees stay at the Westford Regency, where the FH rates are $121 per room per night plus taxes. FH registration is required before you can book a sleeping room at the Westford Regency (the room booking code is in your confirmation email). Rooms are now sold out, although the hotel is keeping a waiting list. Most of the rooms do have two beds, so sharing with a friend who already has a room is a fun and cost-effective option.

Some attendees stay at other hotels close by, although most of these don't match the FH rate. 

However, the Boxboro Regency, about 15 minutes away, WILL match the FH rate of $121 per room per night (for the nights of Nov 13, 14, and 15) through Oct 12th, using the same room booking code in your confirmation email.

Some attendees stay nearby with friends, or seek out Airbnb or other similar lodgings. Again, there's lots of free parking at the Westford Regency.

The artists and their sessions are listed at https://fiddlehell.org/staff. You can view the detailed schedule of concerts, jams, and workshops at https://fiddlehell.org/schedule.

Once you have bought your Fiddle Hell ticket, and set up your Whova account on the device of your choosing, you can also peruse the sessions and artists through the Whova Agenda > Sessions and Agenda > Artists menus. If there are sessions you'd like to remember, add them to "My Agenda" in Whova. 

You can attend any workshops, jams, and concerts you like; there are no individual session signups at Fiddle Hell. The only exception is if you would like to play at a Master Class to receive feedback - we post signup sheets for these in the morning at Fiddle Hell Central. We teach workshops and lead jams at the levels listed for them on the schedule.

Levels are discussed in detail at https://fiddlehell.org/info/session-levels. Our four levels are approximations that you can use as guidelines to help pick your workshops and jams.

Levels indicate two things: the difficulty of the material covered and the pace of the session. L1 (beginner) sessions will have the easiest material and will be at a slow pace. L4 (advanced) sessions will have the most difficult material and will be at a rapid pace. L2 (low intermediate) and L3 (high intermediate) levels are in between.

Of course, your level may vary by instrument, by style, by technical facility, by ability to learn by ear, and more. Feel free to attend any workshops and jams you'd like, expecting that they will be taught and led at the advertised level(s). Also, feel free to leave any session that doesn't feel right for you and join a different one - or join an informal jam in the hallways. 

Sessions on the agenda are arranged by date and time, with 30 minute breaks (generally) between sessions. 

At many time slots, you'll find a  CONCERT . At most time slots, you'll find one or more  JAMs  and up to 16  WORKSHOPs .

 WORKSHOPs   are listed in order of difficulty for a given time slot. 
 L1    L2    L3    L4  describe levels of difficulty and pace (more info on levels here).
 Styles  describe various traditional music styles; many sessions cover more than one style.  
 Instruments  are those targeted by the workshop or jam.

Artists (not always in order) are shown with the instruments they're using for this session.
Descriptions give you exciting details of workshops.
Use the date and track filters to focus on particular attributes, or use the very helpful search box.
Click on an artist's name to see bio and sessions.
The schedule is subject to changes in session days, times and details.

There are 20 concerts, 35 jams, and 250 workshops. During each of the four days Nov 13-16, we'll alternate 60-minute sessions with 30-minute breaks. There are also dinner breaks from 6-7:30PM on each day except Sunday. A few sessions will be 70 minutes instead, with a 20-minute break at the end. In many time slots, you'll find a concert. In most time slots, we'll have one or more jams, and up to 16 workshops (fewer during the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Night Concerts).

To decide which sessions to attend, look at the style (such as Old-Time, Irish, Scottish, New England, Bluegrass, etc.), the target instruments (such as fiddle, cello, guitar, mandolin, banjo, ...), the teaching artists, the level of the session, and of course the session title and description. It's fun to stretch out and try a new style or instrument - or just to relax and watch a fun concert.

You can attend any sessions you want without the need to sign up for them. A few sessions may have capacity limits based on room size.

If you wish to be one of the players for a masterclass, before the workshop, there will be a signup sheet at Fiddle Hell Central [the FH Registration Room]. If there are slots left, players may volunteer during the workshop itself. Listeners at masterclasses are always welcome - you'll likely learn some very useful ideas about style and technique that you can apply to your own playing, even if you're not one of the players directly receiving feedback from the artist.

Tickets are available now, and during the Fiddle Hell festival itself at the Westford Regency Inn & Conference Center, 219 Littleton Rd., Westford, MA.

Turn your phone sideways to see the ticket prices better.

There is a 10% discount on tickets for younger and older players (and American String Teachers' Association [ASTA] members). 

Non-playing parents who are accompanying kids and teens under 18 receive a 66% discount.

This year, we have added concerts-only tickets at a 50% discount (no admission to workshops or scheduled jams).

Fiddle Hell is giving away a vintage violin to an early bird registrant for our November Festival. This fiddle was built by Norwegian maker Franz Hell around 100 years ago,

Sign up in JULY for 3 chances to win the fiddle; in August for 2 chances; in September for 1 chance.

This fiddle is responsive and easy to play, with a clear and even tone across the strings. A fitted case is included, for a value of about $1000, but the coolness factor is way off the charts. SRSLY!
 
The winner will be announced at the FH Saturday Night Concert on Nov 15th, 2025. You do not have to be present at that concert to win.

Other early bird giveaways include books, CDs, strings, and Fiddler magazine copies.

But wait, there's more! We're giving away pairs of great concert seats for 7 local concerts:
- The Stillhouse Junkies at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, Aug 5, 8PM
- Big Richard (with Joy Adams!) at Shalin Liu Perf Ctr in Rockport, MA, Aug 16, 7:30PM.
- Bronwyn Keith-Hynes at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, Aug 17, 7PM
- Rev. Robert Jones at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, Aug 23, 8PM
- Eileen Ivers at the Groton Hill Music Center in Groton, MA, Sept 6, 8PM
- The Hanneke Cassel Band at Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, Oct 6, 8PM
- The Del McCoury Band at Groton Hill in Groton, MA, Oct 25, 8PM

Will YOU be an early bird? It saves you 20% on ticket prices in addition to the giveaway chances.

Violin Giveaway Photos:
Inside Label


Neck Button with Initials "FH" of Franz Hell


Front of Violin

CLICK to hear Andy Reiner play Connaughtman's Rambles on the Franz Hell Violin!

Go to the Registration Page. During the registration process, you'll be able to register just one person or several. You'll be asked some questions about each person being registered (their email, state, instruments, ...), and will read and check off an Attendee Agreement for each person registered. Credit and debit card payments are accepted.

Credit and debit cards are accepted at our Registration Page. However, it is possible to pay by check by mail before the event, or at the event itself.

Please send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with each person's name, ticket category (e.g., Senior), email address, and days desired. This will let us set aside one or more tickets for you even before receiving your check.

Then send a check in the mail right away (mail can be slow these days) to Fiddle Hell Massachusetts LLC, PO Box 316, Lexington, MA 02420-0316. Along with your check, remind us again of each person's name, ticket category (e.g., Senior), email address, and days desired. We'll then send you a 100% discount code (specific to each person) to use for online registration at https://fiddlehell.org/register. Each attendee needs a unique email address, and each will need to sign the Attendee Agreement online after registering. 

Yes! Thanks to generous contributors to our Scholarship Fund, a number of scholarships (and partial scholarships) are available to those who can't afford the fees. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to describe your request and your circumstances. 

Your contributions to our Scholarship Fund are greatly appreciated! You can contribute during registration, and also at https://fiddlehell.org/online/donations (even if you're not registering).

Don't wait!

Register early to:
- Be sure of a ticket for the days you want
- Plan your own agenda (with the My Agenda feature in Whova)
- Ask questions about sessions
- See announcements about new sessions and more
- Post to community discussion topics (like Instruments for Sale)
- Browse through our Virtual Exhibitors

We have some funds available currently for full and partial scholarships - these will run out as FH gets nearer.

Of course! Kids can attend FH and many have in the past. It's a great chance for them to learn, hear and try out new styles and techniques, have fun, and meet new and old friends.

There is a 10% discount for Teens (13-17) and Kids (12 or under). Teens and kids are welcome at all sessions; the session descriptions should be useful in making decisions about what will interest them. There will also be 8 or 9 sessions on Saturday & Sunday specifically for teens and kids for this year's Fiddle Hell.

Teen (13-17) Attendees
A parent or guardian can purchase a ticket for a teen (13-17). Teens (13-17 years old) are required to have an accompanying, responsible adult (18+) present on the premises of the Westford Regency at the 2025 Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival with them.  The accompanying adult is responsible for the teen's safe and non-disruptive participation in and/or attendance at Fiddle Hell Festival activities, including following all FH rules and policies. The accompanying adult must be registered at Fiddle Hell as an Adult, Young Adult, Senior, or Non-Playing Parent. The accompanying adult may be the parent or guardian of the teen, or perhaps a musical older sibling of the teen, or the teen's music teacher.

During the registration process, the parent or guardian of the teen will need to agree to the Attendee Agreement for the teen, and will need to agree to these  additional terms when checking in at Fiddle Hell during the event. 

Kid (12 or under) Attendees
A parent or guardian can purchase a ticket for a kid (12 or under).  Kids (12 or under) are required to have an accompanying, responsible adult (18+) at the 2025 Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival with them AT ALL TIMES, INCLUDING IN EACH SESSION. The accompanying adult is responsible for the kid's safe and non-disruptive participation in and/or attendance at Fiddle Hell Festival activities, including following all FH rules and policies. Since the kid may be using Whova on a mobile device (phone, tablet) and/or laptop or desktop, to comply with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA), the accompanying adult should ensure that the kid avoids sharing on Whova any personal information, including but not limited to the kid's name, Whova display name (which should be anonymized), address, phone number, revealing chat postings, self photos or other photos of kids under 12. The accompanying adult must be registered at Fiddle Hell as an Adult, Young Adult, Senior, or Non-Playing Parent. The accompanying adult may be the parent or guardian of the kid, or perhaps a musical older sibling of the kid, or the kid's music teacher.  Non-Playing Parents are requested to sit in the back of the session room if space is tight. 

During the registration process, the parent or guardian of the kid will need to agree to the Attendee Agreement for the kid, and will need to agree to these additional terms when checking in at Fiddle Hell during the event. 

1. The ticket purchaser will receive a confirmation email from Whova with ticket purchase details (including the discount code for hotel reservations, if needed). Other attendees whose tickets were purchased at the same time will also get a confirmation email.

2. Please set up your Whova account (see the Whova question for how to do this). 

Whova is the online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees. Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival.

3. Eventually, each attendee will get an email from Fiddle Hell asking them to sign the Attendee Agreement online. You do need to sign this to attend the event. You can also sign it within Whova on a mobile device at Resources > WaiverForm .

4. Please help spread the word about Fiddle Hell to your musical friends - fiddlers, mando players, cellists, guitarists, banjo players, singers, and more. You can direct them to our Fiddle Hell website, our Facebook group, our YouTube channel (for jam videos), or our Instagram channel.  

5. After the detailed Agenda is available in September, think about which sessions you'd like to attend. You'll see these listed at https://fiddlehell.org/Schedule and in the Whova Agenda.  In Whova, you can add them to My Agenda just to keep track of them.  You can attend any sessions you want without the need to sign up for them. A few sessions may have capacity limits based on room size.

6. Get ready to try out new tunes and styles, pick up techniques and nuances, enjoy hearing others play, participate in guided jams, hear great concerts, connect with old friends and make new ones. Whatever your level and musical preferences, you'll find a supportive community and kindred spirits. There will be 13 year olds and 83 year olds, local musicians and attendees from far away, players who perform regularly and those who rarely play for anyone.

Speaking for the Fiddle Hell organizers - and all the instructors, performers, and staff - I hope you'll enjoy the event as it unrolls, and have fun throughout Fiddle Hell. Relax and experience this unique gathering!
- Dave Reiner

Fiddle Hell is in person on Nov 13-16, 2025, in Westford, MA, with fantastic teaching and performing artists and a great schedule. From a Covid safety standpoint, you may have questions about what we are doing at the event and what we are asking you to do. Here are the answers:

1. Participation in the Fiddle Hell Massachusetts Festival (FH), Nov 13-16, 2025, includes risk of exposure to and illness from infectious diseases including but not limited to Covid-19. Attendance is at your own risk. Fiddle Hell Massachusetts LLC has determined the Covid safety protocols below for FH and may modify these protocols at its sole discretion before or during FH. These protocols apply to attendees, teaching and performing artists, and FH staff members.

2. Covid vaccination is OPTIONAL in 2024. Evidence indicates that Covid vaccines are highly effective at making the disease milder and may also reduce the spread of disease. 

3. Masking is OPTIONAL but welcome at FH workshops, jams, and concerts. Evidence indicates that masking works very well in mitigating the transmission of airborne disease, which may be especially important for those who with increased risk factors.  Free masks (both surgical and higher-filtration N95, KN95, or KF94 masks) will be available at FH to anyone who would like them.  In the main concert hall, there will be a masks-only section for those wishing to sit near others who are also masked.

4. If you feel unwell at all, have had a positive Covid test result, or have had Covid very recently (with a positive test or symptoms beginning less than 10 days before FH), or have a household member with Covid, please do not attend FH.  Covid symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea. We’ll have another FH next year and would love to see you then!  If you are unable to attend due to illness, a positive test result, or a household member with Covid, we will refund tickets purchased in advance. 

5. Anyone who develops symptoms consistent with Covid or tests positive for it while attending FH should communicate this situation immediately to the FH staff.You will be asked to put on a mask and leave the event immediately, and will be entitled to a pro-rated refund. 

6. We trust our caring community to find the right balance of caution and fun by following these safety protocols, and to treat fellow FH attendees with respect.

The Attendee Agreement describes the policies and actions you agree to as part of your participation at Fiddle Hell. You'll need to accept this Attendee Agreement as you register. And each attendee will need to sign this same agreement online later on, in response to an email from Fiddle Hell. Parents, guardians, and responsible adults are asked to sign on behalf of their teens (13-17) and/or kids (12 or under) who are attending.

You can also sign the agreement within Whova on a mobile device at Resources > WaiverForm .

Fiddle Hell is in person in November - but we use a helpful app called "Whova". 

Whova is the online event system that helps you access agenda details, download handouts, see messages and announcements, visit the virtual exhibits, ask questions about sessions or in general, and (optionally) connect with other attendees.

Whova is optional at Fiddle Hell, but we highly recommend using it on your phone, tablet, or laptop during the Festival. The attendees at the last three IN-PERSON Fiddle Hells and seven ONLINE Fiddle Hells have used Whova and been quite pleased with it. We'll assist you with Whova if needed when you're at Fiddle Hell.

Once you've bought your Fiddle Hell ticket, you'll need to set up your Whova account and sign in as described below. 

*** Helpful Links ***
For iPhones and iPads, here's the Whova app you're looking for in the App Store preview: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whova-event-conference-app/id716979741 
Here's how to get apps on an iPad: https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/get-apps-ipad9b4cea76/ipados 
For Android phones and Android tablets, here's the Whova app you're looking for in the Play Store preview: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whova.event 
For laptops and desktops, no app is needed. The Whova Web portal for Fiddle Hell is at https://fiddlehellwestford.com 
*** End of Helpful Links ***

For smart phones, iPads, tablets or other mobile devices, download the Whova Event & Conference App.
If you already have a Whova account (likely from a previous Fiddle Hell), sign in with your email address and password, and look for the event "Fiddle Hell In-Person - Fall 2025". You might have to search events for "fiddle" to find the right one. If you don't have a Whova account, sign up with the same exact email address used for your registration as an attendee and a password you create, and then look for the event.

For a LAPTOP or DESKTOP computer, ideally with the Chrome browser, go to www.fiddlehellwestford.com (not fiddlehell.com).
If you already have a Whova account (likely from a previous Fiddle Hell), sign in with your email address and password. If you don't have a Whova account, where it says "Don't have an account?" click "Sign up here". Sign in with the same exact email address used for your registration as an attendee, and create a new password. On a laptop or desktop computer, you don't need to download any software - the Whova Web Portal is browser-based.

Troubleshooting:
Whova uses 2-factor authentication during your sign-in. For security, Whova may send you an email (to your registered email address) with a CODE to continue signing in. You've probably done this code thing with an online credit card account or bank account.

If you are asked for an "invitation code" when you're using an iPad or other mobile device to set up your Whova account, make sure to download the Whova Event & Conference App first and use the App to set up your account. Then you should be able to see Fiddle Hell right away as one of "My Events" or you can seach for it in "Find My Event".

If you are asked for an "invitation code" when you're using a laptop or desktop to set up your Whova account, it's usually because you're using a different email address than the one you gave when you bought your Fiddle Hell ticket. Please try again, using the same email address you gave when you bought your FH ticket. Fiddle Hell staff can help if needed.

Questions?
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Shirts will be available for pre-order at [URL coming soon].  There will 5 styles, some with color choices. The new softstyle t-shirts and hoodies are really soft! You can pick up your shirts at Fiddle Hell Central (= the Registration Room) any time during Fiddle Hell, Nov 13-16, Westford, MA. No shipping charge!

A smaller selection of t-shirts will also be available at Fiddle Hell Central in Westford if you don't pre-order one. Last year these sold out by Friday morning.

The Fiddle Hell Common Tune list consists of 104 tunes that were suggested by the Reiner Family Band (the original 52) and by Fiddle Hell attendees (the new 52). It's a list of exciting tunes in various styles; most are traditional and a few are by known composers. These are suggested for your repertoire, and often show up in jams or workshops. Of course, many tunes not on the list are also played regularly at Fiddle Hell.

The Reiner Family Band has recorded the common tunes (played both fast and slow) on two 2-CD sets, available in the Fiddle Hell Store (in Fiddle Hell Central) for $15/set. These are also available online, with free shipping to US addresses, at the Fiddle Hell Store.

Please help us make Fiddle Hell better by filling out our anonymous survey after the November festival at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FiddleHellNov2025

We read all responses carefully!