This Month At The Waterworks
Pat Bergeson & Bruce Forman
Saturday, March 21
Doors: 6:30 pm
Show: 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Pat Bergeson
Guitarist and harmonica player Pat Bergeson has written, toured, and recorded with many of his musical heroes. Beginning at the University of Illinois in his home state, he moved on to New York City and picked up a Jazz Studies degree at William Paterson University. After playing in New York for ten years, he moved to Nashville upon the request of Chet Atkins who heard Pat on a demo tape. Chet invited him to play on his album “Sneakin’ Around” with Jerry Reed, and later featured Pat’s guitar and compositions on his 1994 release Read My Licks. They were good friends and toured together for several years.
A versatile guitarist as well as chromatic and diatonic harmonica player, Pat’s style incorporates jazz, blues, rock and finger style and he is known for his session work with a variety of artists. He has been in the studio with Lyle Lovett, Alison Krauss, Dolly Parton, Bill Frisell, Martin Taylor, Suzy Bogguss, Bill Evans, Peter Frampton, Michael McDonald and many others. He has toured with Shelby Lynne, Madeleine Peyroux, Wynonna Judd, Suzy Bogguss and then four years with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band. Pat has been a teacher and producer and has appeared on many movie soundtracks.
Bruce Forman
Bruce Forman is a renowned jazz guitarist with an extensive career spanning decades. He's known for his active touring schedule, numerous recordings as a leader and sideman, and contributions to film soundtracks, including the Academy Award-winning "Million Dollar Baby". Forman is also an acclaimed educator, serving in residence at USC's Studio/Jazz Guitar Department. He has been praised by jazz figures such as Barney Kessel.
Special Workshop
These two stellar guitar players will present a workshop on Saturday, March 21 at The Waterworks from 2:00-3:00pm. Pat and Bruce will explain and demonstrate jazz guitar style and how to improvise in a duo setting. They will also discuss creating arrangements for solo guitar using jazz harmony, chord substitutions and melodic vocabulary. For all guitar players and music fans, this is an opportunity not to be missed!
The workshop is open to the public. A donation of $20.00 is suggested. All proceeds will go to support the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival’s YoungFolk Program that nurtures young, aspiring musicians in our community.
Live From The Waterworks
The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, in partnership with the St. Johns Cultural Council, announces the 2025–2026 season of “Live From The Waterworks”, an intimate monthly concert series celebrating the legacy of St. Augustine’s own Gamble Rogers. There are limited seats available, so purchasing tickets early is recommended. Thank you for your support, you are making dreams come true!
Our 31st Annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
Join us April 10–12, 2026, at the St. Johns County Fairgrounds
for a weekend filled with live music, storytelling, family-friendly activities, craft vendors, camping, and the community spirit that continues to honor the legacy of Florida troubadour Gamble Rogers! From longtime favorites to exciting new voices, this year’s lineup is one
you won’t want to miss.
Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires
Grammy Award-winner, American Songster, and American Banjo Hall of Fame inductee Dom Flemons, will be joined by his dynamic supergroup, The Traveling Wildfires. Formed as an evolution of Flemons' lifelong mission to celebrate, preserve, and reimagine roots music, The Traveling Wildfires draw inspiration from his GRAMMY-nominated Folkways albums Black Cowboys and Traveling Wildfire. The group features a talented lineup: Brian Farrow (bass, fiddle; formerly Gangstagrass) and Dante Pope (vocals, drums; formerly Old Crow Medicine Show). Together, they deliver a fiery, fresh sound rooted in bluegrass, country, folk, blues, and Black stringband music.
Verlon Thompson
Celebrated songwriter, master guitarist, and Oklahoma native Verlon Thompson will also take the stage. With more than three decades as a touring troubadour and as the longtime creative partner to the legendary Guy Clark, Thompson is known for his narrative songwriting, guitar work, and as a talented performer. His songs have been recorded by some of the industry's biggest names, including Jimmy Buffett and Alan Jackson, Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury, Trisha Yearwood, Randy Travis, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. As a producer, Thompson co-created several of Clark's critically revered albums, including Cold Dog Soup and Somedays the Song Writes You. On stage, Thompson's narrative magic and musicianship create an unforgettable experience.
Alexa Rose
Gamble Rogers Folk Fest welcomes acclaimed singer-songwriter Alexa Rose, praised by NPR Music as "An enchanting new Appalachian voice...sounds like the soul child of Bob Dylan and Dolly Parton." Raised in western Virginia, Rose was inspired by stories of her great-grandfather, who once lived and played with bluegrass legend Lester Flatt. Her 2019 debut Medicine For Living garnered widespread attention when the title track won Merlefest's Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Rose's 2021 album Headwaters earned national acclaim from American Songwriter and Rolling Stone. Blending old country, traditional folk, rock, and mountain soul, Rose delivers earnest, well-crafted stylings.
Ed Snodderly
Joining the lineup is veteran songwriter and performer, Ed Snodderly AKA Es Pearl. In 2001 the third verse to his song, “The Diamond Stream”, was permanently displayed on the Wall Of Honor at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville, Tennessee. Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Missy Raines and others have recorded his songs. In 1976 he co-founded the iconic venue, The Down Home. Gamble’s last performance was on that stage. “What’s it worth to sing this song?” It’s the question East Tennessee culture keeper and songwriter Es Pearl asks.
Red and Christopher Henry & Their All-Star Band
Known for their exceptional musicianship and original songwriting, Red and Christopher Henry & Their All-Star Band have made lasting contributions to the bluegrass community. Beginning with Red and Murphy Henry's early performances as a husband-and-wife duo, the family has continued to shape regional bluegrass culture through live performances and their influential Murphy Method instructional tradition. Today, Christopher Henry joins his father, Red Henry, to lead a dynamic All-Star Band known for its tight instrumentation, authentic harmonies, and spirited stage presence, carrying the family's musical legacy proudly into a new era.
These artists represent just the beginning of what promises to be an unforgettable 2026 festival.
More performer announcements are coming soon!
Just in time for the holidays, Early Bird tickets for the 31st Annual Festival will go on sale mid-December!
With this initial musician announcement, the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival celebrates the festival's namesake, the beloved Florida troubadour Gamble Rogers, whose legacy continues to inspire generations of musicians, storytellers, and folk enthusiasts.
Vendor Applications
Are you a vendor interested in selling your handmade items and other unique goods at the
31st Annual Gamble Rogers Folk Festival? Apply today!
As the oldest music festival in St. Johns County, we are ever grateful to YOU, our longtime and dedicated supporters to help us keep this important and fulfilling musical legacy alive and well.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we'll look forward to seeing you soon!
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Here are a few magical moments from our 30th Anniversary Festival Celebration
with Gamble's own spectacular rendition of his tune, Deep Gap Salute, written in honor of his longtime friend, Doc Watson.
Why do we celebrate Gamble’s legacy? Find out from our President, Jim Carrick.
