Mike Dawes has a torn tendon in his bicep and it’s just too painful for him to perform for the next few months. Unfortunately, he’s going to have to reschedule his performance at The Ark on February 12 to Friday, October 16.
The 21st Annual celebration of love and music hosted featuring Annie & Rod Capps, Shari Kane & Dave Steele, and Whit & Al Hill. Three acclaimed musical duos who also happen to be partners in life share the stage, swapping songs and stories. You can expect some collaborating both planned and spontaneous.
Presenting the 2026 Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer-songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. Due to an unforeseen injury to Patty Larkin, On A Winter’s Night will be a trio format, featuring John Gorka, Cliff Eberhart, and Lucy Kaplansky. The show will go on, and the length and spirit will not change.
RJ Cowdery (Ohio), Katie Dahl (Wisconsin), and Hope Dunbar (New Jersey) may be from three different states, but they all share a knack for razor-sharp lyrics, wicked humor, compelling vocals, and unflinching truth-telling. All alumni of the prestigious Kerrville New Folk competition, Cowdery, Dahl, and Dunbar each tour the country individually, but are teaming up for this powerhouse triple bill. Don’t miss this chance to see three of the country’s most respected songwriters, swapping songs with one another in an in-the-round format.
Opener: Dougie Poole
The Ark 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor, MI, United StatesReared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. On his latest album, When I’m Called—his first LP for Fat Possum, and his first as a parent—Fussell returns to a well of music that holds lifelong sentimental meaning, loosely contemplating the passage of time and the procession of life’s unexpected offerings.
Solas is lighting up stages across the globe as they celebrate three decades of pushing boundaries and honoring traditions in Irish music. Hailed by The Wall Street Journal as “an Irish traditional band bearing all the marks of greatness,” Solas continues to captivate audiences with their spellbinding musicianship and genre-defying creativity.
There was no master plan. No label strategy. Just a spontaneous jam at Nashville’s Station Inn between a few friends—seasoned players, all women, making a little noise. But something clicked. The room lit up, the crowd roared, and Sister Sadie was born. What started as an accidental band became a force. GRAMMY-nominated. IBMA-decorated. Opry-validated. But for all the accolades, they were often reduced to one line: an all-female bluegrass band. True—but never the point. Sister Sadie has always been about the music.
Liars have been around since the snake first hit it off with Eve. By some accounts, contests celebrating liars have been around since the 15th century, but these accounts may be apocryphal. Today, liars contests are held in countries all around the globe. The Fourth Annual Liar’s Contest at The Ark includes six first-class liars and three judges. The chaos wrangler and MC will once again be the amazing Amir Baghdadchi.
This annual event brings both locally based and nationally known story tellers to The Ark stage. This year’s story tellers are Adam Booth, Jennifer Munro, Barbara Schutzgruber, and Steve Daut.
This annual event brings both locally based and nationally known story tellers to The Ark stage. This year’s story tellers are Jennifer Otto and Adam Booth.
Ypsilanti singer-songwriter, music preservationist and oral historian Matt Jones brings backing band The Reconstruction to The Ark for the first time in over a decade to release his new album, The Good Life.
Virginia-based folk-rock band The Steel Wheels have spent almost twenty years writing, recording, and touring, all the while constantly honing their evolving brand of American roots music. Additionally they are the founders and hosts of the Red Wing Roots Music Festival, a beloved staple of the Shenandoah Valley.