About Us
WAFS mission: the enjoyment, perpetuation and encouragement of all types of acoustic music, educating the public in music appreciation and forms of self-entertainment, sharing of musical ideas, venues, performing, passing down and preserving this region’s musical heritage for our youth.
NEWS FLASH! ATTENTION WAFS MEMBERS! WAFS IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE ANOTHER BENEFIT OFFERED TO OUR MEMBERS! Receive a discount on select items when you present your WAFS membership card at:
MAIN STREET MUSIC AND LOAN
302 Main St. North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
THE VINTAGE CORNER
103-B East Main Street North Wilkesboro NC 28659
HAMBY MUSIC AND PAWN
1205 West D St. North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
Discounts given at time of purchase by owner discretion.
The BOARD meeting of Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society Inc. is held the fourth Monday of each month prior to the regular meeting. The public is invited to attend.
The Wilkes Acoustic Folk Society meets the fourth Monday of each month EXCEPT December. The October, November, January, February and March meetings are held at the Wilkes Heritage Museum, 100 E. Main Street, Wilkesboro, NC. The month of April WAFS spends the entire week of MerleFest on the campus of Wilkes Community College, 1328 S. Collegiate Dr. Wilkesboro, NC. The May, June, July, August and September meetings are held at the Doc and Merle Watson Stage on the beautiful campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.
Memberships $30 individual $35 family, include opportunity to volunteer at MerleFest Pickin’ Place and Little Pickers Instrument Pettin’ Zoo and earn armbands for MerleFest. Members may also volunteer and earn passes for Carolina in the Fall. More benefits include meetings, workshops, scholarships, e-newsletters, tee shirts, hats, discounts at participating Wilkes music stores and more. Refer to “events” on Facebook for more info.
WAFS is proud to sponsor the Duncan-Elliott Memorial Scholarship to the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, NC. The gathering is held during the summer months. WAFS is also proud to sponsor scholarships to the JamCamp at MerleFest hosted by Pete Wernick. JamCamp is held the week of MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC. Please click on SCHOLARSHIPS for more information and an application.
The Society operates solely on volunteer participation and membership fees. The Society proudly accepts donations of time, money and instruments. Instruments are held in our MerleFest Instrument Pettin’ Zoo and Lending Library for folks to use. All donations are tax deductible within the law, 501(c)(3)status. Please consult with your tax professional.
Volunteers are the heart of non-profit organizations. To quote Dr. Jeff Cox, President of Wilkes Community College where MerleFest is held, ”MerleFest and WCC event volunteers in 2016 gave 49,000 hours of service,” and this includes WAFS volunteers during MerleFest. We are volunteer strong!
The Rev. Dr. Steven Duncan Memorial Music Library is housed in the Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro NC. The library is the late Dr. Duncan’s (WAFS co-founder) personal collection, containing books, tapes, CD’s, song books and more. Dr. Duncan was an avid musician, old time story teller, teacher, counselor and Lutheran pastor. His daughter, Heather donated all his personal musical items for future generations to enjoy. The late Dr. Duncan co-founded WAFS along with Keith Watts.
WAFS partners with the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame for the Dr. T. R. Bryan, Jr. Wilkes Heritage Music Award. Through this partnership, 14 honorees have been inducted. They are Dr. T. R. Bryan, Jr., Jimmy Church, Ward Eller, Keith Watts, Billy Gee, Larry Skipper, Bill Williams, Mike Palmer, Linda Cabe, Ernest Johnson, Donnie Story, R.G. Absher, Steve Kilby and Drake Walsh. The Wikes Heritage Museum hosts the induction ceremony is each spring.
Beginning in 2004, Scholarships have been awarded to The Swannanoa Gathering (Duncan-Elliott Memorial), Pete Wernick’s Jam Camp, and the Gary Saunders Memorial Scholarship. There have been 33 scholarships awarded. Melanie Podbielski, Trish Wylie, Laura Ferguson, Ethan Haithcock, John Palmer, James Wagoner, Shay Lovette, Revonda Crow, Abby Huggins, Hannah “Josie” Hoggard, Mary Vann Johnston, Kathleen Nicole Burnette, Liam Purcell, Chad Ritchie, Elizabeth Carter, Asa Nelson, Bobby W. Fields, Jonah Horton, Willow Dillon, Benjamin Barker, Presley Barker, Hallie Younger, Emma Lowe, Madison Elmore, Libby Harbour, Robert (Bob) Myers, Jake Myers, Owen Combs, Katy Farrar, R.C. Stamper, Rebekah Myers, Sharon Carter Underwood and Suzanne Manners.
Contact Us
P.O. Box 123
North Wilkesboro NC 28659
info@WilkesAcousticFolkSociety.org