3RFS is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, founded in 1988, serving the folk community near the confluence of the Yakima, Snake and Columbia rivers in SE Washington state (map)

We present concerts, coffeehouses, contra dances, song circles, and the annual Tumbleweed Music Festival (In its 28th year in 2024.)

Shanghaied on the Willamette Michael Carlos Band Bram Brata
Performers at Tumbleweed Music Festivals



Many more events headed your way:

Coming Next in 2024:



(See Concert, Coffeehouse, Song Circle, or Tumbleweed pages for details)







    November's concert features

    James Keelaghan!





    James Keelaghan!



    Join us for a special Friday evening concert with James Keelaghan.

    Called Canada’s finest singer-songwriter by one of the most respected and lauded music journalists of the last 50 years, James Keelaghan is an artist who has proven to be a man for all seasons. As the calendar pages have turned, for almost a quarter of a century now, this poet laureate of the folk and roots music world has gone about his work with a combination of passion, intent and intensity, and curiosity.

    Fusing his insatiable appetite for finding the next unique storyline he forges his pieces with brilliantly defined craftsmanship and a monogrammed artistic vision, making him one of the most distinctive and readily identifiable voices of not only the Canadian scene, but as a member of the international singer-songwriter community.

    Armed with a songbook that has enlightened and enthralled, and been embraced, by audiences around the world, Keelaghan’s life as an artist is one that is a perpetual journey on so many levels.

    Most importantly it’s a journey that has invited fans of literate and layered songwriting to be a part of his artistic expeditions, some that weave their way through marvelously etched stories of a historical nature with underlying universal themes , and others that mine the depths of the soul and the emotional trails of human relations. His masterful story telling, over the course of nine recordings, has been part of the bedrock of his success, earning Keelaghan his share of nominations and awards, and acclaim from Australia to Scandinavia.

    When Friday, November 22nd, 2024 from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM Location 1322 Kimball Ave. Richland, WA 99354 United States Concert ticket: $20.00 / $15.00 3RFS Members

    Tickets are $20.00 for Non-members, $15.00 for 3RFS members, and are available at the door or HERE. Enter All Saints Episcopal Church from the door by the back parking lot.

    December's concert features

    SeaStar!





    SeaStar!



    Since 2007, Fae Wiedenhoeft and her band SeaStar have been entertaining audiences. SeaStar hails from the rainy town of Seattle, rocks like a gale, and woos like a summer wind. For the last 16 years this band has been generating original Celtic, Folk, Maritime, and Americana music with a Pacific Northwest spin. Deeply rooted in the stories of the West Coast and the Celtic worlds, every note has the essence of the fisherfolk, the selkies, the mountains, the tides, and the blackberry breeze. Their award winning, traditional sounding compositions and clever story songs are loved and revered by many. They have taken their love of musical storytelling around the world including the US, Canada, Ireland and Scotland, England, France, Poland, and Türkiye.

    They have played at festivals, concert halls, coffeehouses, house concerts, hardware stores and even video arcades, and will return to the Tri-Cities for a concert on December 7 at 7:30 pm at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 1322 Kimball Avenue, Richland. No strangers to our 3RFS audience, Seastar been performing at Tumbleweed for years. Their last concert for 3RFS, in September 2021, was our first concert after the pandemic closings.

    The band has been together in some configuration since 2007. The current configuration consists of Fae Wiedenhoeft: Voice, Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin; "Captain" Adam Chambers: Bass; Michael Falcone: Voice, Cajon, Hand Percussion; and Ron Allen: Guitar. Fae is the primary songwriter in the group which is known for her passionate originals, and their energetic renditions of Celtic anthems and standards as well as Americana classics with a hint of old-time and bluegrass. Both Fae and Seastar have a number of CDs, some of which are sure to be available at the concert. You can also listen to and buy their music online at Bandcamp - https://seastar1.bandcamp.com/ as well as from Amazon and Apple.

    When Saturday, December 7th, 2024 from 7:30 PM to 11:00 PM Location 1322 Kimball Ave. Richland, WA 99354 United States Concert ticket: $20.00 / $15.00 3RFS Members

    Tickets are $20.00 for Non-members, $15.00 for 3RFS members, and are available at the door or HERE. Enter All Saints Episcopal Church from the door by the back parking lot.







    Concerts coming in the future:



    January: Bourbon and Bellows!


    February: Dan Maher!


    March: Shamrock and Sage!








    It is with great sadness that Three Rivers Folklife Society notes the passing of a very long-time 3RFS member, Alan Gibbs.

    Alan and his wife Judi started the 3rfs.org website in 1995. In this time of straight HTML, they figured out how to put sound clips online, and posted some of the earliest ones.

    Alan subsequently maintained and developed the 3rfs.org website by himself until May 2023, when a serious medical condition suddenly sidelined him.

    Alan was born in 1939, and died January 11, 2024.

    He was a valued and valuable member of our organization, and put in excellent work to promote the organization and our aims.

    Our thoughts are with his family and friends now. Thank you, Alan, for everything.