updated 9/6/25
This is a list of Québécois/Acadian/French Canadian trad music sessions. Most of these sessions are instrumental (fiddle and accordion are the most typical lead instruments) though some may include singing.
Locations and schedules change frequently, and some sessions take a summer break, so always check with local contacts for the latest information when visiting. All times are in the timezone of the locality.
Maine
2nd Sunday (September to May)
Contact: Elaine Malkin malkinfid AT gmail.com
Brattleboro VT
1st Sunday 3pm-5pm
River Garden Marketplace, Main Street, Brattleboro
In warmer weather: sometimes at the Creamery Covered Bridge, Brattleboro
Contact: Chris Madigan cmadigan49 AT comcast.net
Watertown MA (Boston)
2nd Wednesday 7:30pm-10:30pm
Canadian American Club, 202 Arlington St, Watertown, MA 02472
https://canadianamericanclub.com/sessions
https://www.facebook.com/QueSesBo
Rocky Hill CT (Hartford area)
Still Hill Brewery, Rocky Hill, CT
2nd Sunday 2-5pm
occasional other sessions in private homes
Contact: Aaron Bittel, aaronmbittel AT pm.me
New Paltz NY
(formerly Poughkeepsie NY)
3rd Saturday 5pm potluck; 6pm-9pm session
private home
https://www.facebook.com/groups/94132517786
Bronx NY
usually last Saturday of the month 1pm-4pm
An Beal Bocht Cafe
445 West 238th Street (Graystone Ave.), Bronx, NY
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2459543677666881
Leonardtown MD (Southern Maryland)
3rd Sunday of most months 3pm-5pm
Shepherd's Old Field (SOF) Market, Leonardtown, MD 20650
led by Sarah Brenzo
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2040213349596372
Ann Arbor MI (Southeast Michigan)
One Tuesday a month 7pm-9pm (check calendar)
Morris Hall, Pittsfield Township Administration Building
6201 W. Michigan Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48108
https://aactmad.org/french-canadian-session
Madison WI
Thursdays; occasional Wednesdays
private home
contact: Gary Giorgi gggiorgi AT wisc.edu
Twin Cities (St. Paul & Minneapolis MN)
2nd & 4th Saturday 10:30 AM - 12:30 pm
Loons Coffee, 4648 E. Lake Street, Minneapolis 55406
contact: djrhees12 AT gmail.com
Seattle WA
monthly or occasionally more frequently; private homes
Also 4th Saturday 1:30pm-4pm at Couth Buzzard Book store https://www.couthbuzzard.com/event-calendar
join the Google group Quebec_PNW by sending an email to quebec_pnw+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Contact: Doug Plummer 2doug AT dougplummer.com
Olympia/Tumwater WA
3rd Thursday 7pm; private homes
Contact: caroljpiening AT gmail.com
Portland OR
Location: McMenamin's Kennedy School - Community Room 5736 NE 33rd Ave., Portland, OR
Dates/time: 5th Mondays of the month, (March 31, June 30, Sept. 29, Dec. 29 in 2025), 7-9pm
Other dates TBA at homes, via email list (and participating newsletters)
Contact: pdxqjam AT gmail.com (request addition to email list)
San Francisco Bay Area
Meets approximately monthly, typically on a weekend or weekday afternoon in a private home in the east bay
Occasional sessions at SF Folk Club weekend gatherings, SF Free Folk Festival etc.
Click "Join this Group" at https://groups.io/g/quetradSF or send an email to quetradSF+subscribe@groups.io.
Santa Cruz CA
Halifax NS
2nd Monday night from 7h30-9h30
private home
https://www.facebook.com/groups/361533297225399
Quebec
CQPV (Conseil québécois du patrimoine vivant) has an informational page about dances throughout the province of Québec and a Google map showing locations of jams, festivals, and dances.
Quebec City:
Every Tuesday
Pub Nelligan’s
789, Cote Sainte-Geneviève, Québec, QC 418-529-7817
https://www.facebook.com/pubnelligans
3rd Friday? 7pm
Parlabas café-boutique
6 Rue Georges-Muir, Québec, QC G2N 1K7, Canada
https://www.facebook.com/groups/jamtradvilledequebec/
2nd & 4th Tuesday 7pm
thru 6 juin 2024
Workshop (rotating teachers) & slow jam (Martin Aucoin & Maxence Croteau)
Event by CVPV
la Chapelle de tous les Saints
31 Rue des Jardins, Québec, QC G1R 4L6, Canada
https://www.facebook.com/events/260201150298856
Lévis QC
2nd Wednesday (September to May)
Taverne la barricade
59 Côte du Passage, Lévis, QC G6V 5S8, Canada
https://www.mareemusique.com/jam-trad
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064786113941
One Saturday per month 3pm-5pm (September to May)
Jam Trad Modéré de Lévis (moderate jam)
Café la Mosaïque
5727, rue Saint-Louis , Lévis, QC, Canada, Quebec
https://www.facebook.com/events/1859375844787156/1859375851453822
https://www.mareemusique.com/jam-trad
Chicoutimi (Saguenay) QC
Every Thursday
La tour à bière
517 rue Racine Est, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
Also check out Facebook events posted by Fjord Trad
Donnacona QC (Portneuf)
3rd Wednesday
Brasserie La Fosse
270, de l'Église Donnacona, QC, Canada G3M1Z5
https://www.facebook.com/satrap.art
Jolliette QC
Wednesday 7pm
L’Albion, Boulevard Manseau, Joliette
http://www.brasseriealbion.com/jams-trad/
Montreal QC:
Monday night 8pm
la Petite Marche 5035 rue St-Denis, Montreal, QC, Canada, Quebec
(formerly at L'Escalier)
https://www.facebook.com/tradescalier
1st & 3rd Tuesday
Vices et Versa
6631 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, Quebec H2S 3C5, Canada
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063556023136
Monthly (on a Tuesday)
avec Germaine Leduc
Centre de pratique artistique Argenteuil
430, 5e Rue, Laval-des-Rapides H7N 1Z6
https://www.dmij.net/musiques/
Sherbrooke QC
1st Wed 7:30pm
Café Baobab
1551 Rue Dunant, Sherbrooke, QC J1H 5N6
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1577110155867101/
Gatineau QC
Tuesday 18:30-21:30 (September through May)
La Dérive Brasserie Artisanale
1015 rue Jacques-Cartier, Gatineau
https://www.facebook.com/folklore.outaouais
https://folkloreoutaouais.org/
Toronto ON
3rd Sunday 12pm
Tranzac Club
292 Brunswick Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
https://toquetrad.com/
Vancouver BC
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1873815946180704
Contact: dougthefiddler AT hotmail.com
Paris
2nd Thurday 8pm
Tous les 2e jeudi du mois de 20h
L'Entrepôt's Paris 20, 68 rue de Ménilmontant, 75020 (metro Ménilmontant)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/294547317625727
Brussels
3rd Sunday 4pm
new session - here is the invite for January 2024:
https://www.facebook.com/events/738713487824149/
Les Super Filles du Tram
22 rue Lesbroussart, Brussels, Belgium
Thursday 7pm ET: email paulfackler00 AT gmail.com.
4th Sunday 3pm ET (Sept through May): join Les Amis Fantômes group https://groups.io/g/fantomes2
Saturday 18:30 - 21:00 ET: https://folkloreoutaouais.org/events/jam-trad-en-zoom/. Email: info AT folkloreoutaouais.org