13th Annual Dulcimer Week

Come to our 13th Annual Dulcimer Week at Wallowa Lake, June 29-July 5, 2025 

Registration will open to the public on Feb. 1, 2025

Instructors for 2025 will be Karen Mueller, Aubrey Atwater, Dusty Thorburn, and Bob Webb.

Come to Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas to learn Appalachian mountain dulcimer in this beautiful, inspiring place! We draw students from across the country, and many can’t wait to come back. Here’s what some of them have said:

– I liked everything! Every year just enhances my dulcimer playing and enjoyment of the instrument. The concert was AWESOME!

 – The instructors really introduced me to possibilities – like singing along while playing and expanding my chording. I really felt challenged and appreciated. I appreciated having class levels.

 – I liked everything! There was a fine blend of instruction and free time. I learned a lot.

– Congrats on making the camp about the STUDENTS. I loved open mic night – a chance to experience and appreciate all those lovely folks!

– I simply loved it – my first music camp. The setting is lovely (understatement).

We gather to make music among the tall trees at the Wallowa Lake Camp and Conference Center, near the charming town of Joseph in northeastern Oregon, known for its bronze foundries and art galleries. Look for our ad in the winter issue of Dulcimer Players’ News and let your friends know about us! Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas is hosted by Heidi Muller & Bob Webb.

We hold our event at Wallowa Lake Camp, a rustic conference center owned by the United Methodist Church. Just a ten-minute walk from the south shore of Wallowa Lake, it is set in the woods and has a variety of facilities. Classes are held in Bailey Lodge, Hill Hall, and two other meeting spaces. Delicious, healthy meals are served in Bailey Lodge – every year students rave about the good food! Those who stay with us onsite, including campers and RV-ers, are required to purchase a meal plan. Vegetarian meals are available.

Lodging options on-site include tent camping, some RV spaces, and deluxe 1 and 2-bedroom round wooden cabins, also called yurts. Single cabins have enough space for 2-3 adults. We offer them for double or triple occupancy (triple requires climbing to an upper bunk). Singles are encouraged to bring their own cabinmates and share a cabin (we don’t match roommates) or stay in one of the bunkhouse cabins. We offer a women’s bunkhouse that is a carpeted, heated, dorm-like space with 8 bunks just a short walk from the showers and toilets (occupants bring their own bedding and linens). If we have interest from at least 2-3 men, we can also open up a men’s bunkhouse (email us for info). Single accommodations are also available nearby at Eagle Cap Chalets and other places listed below.

Our 2BR cabins are offered for double occupancy or groups of 3-4 people, with two separate bedrooms (one queen bed and upper bunk in each) plus a small loft. They’re ideal for two couples, and we offer them for just two people if our 1BR cabins are taken. We have three RV spaces on-site with no hookups, two with electric power only, and sometimes have a space or two available with water and electricity (if not needed by camp volunteers). There are other RV parks nearby that provide full hookups (the nearest one is the RV “Park at the River”).

Please note: our 1BR cabins fill up early but we may still have 2BR cabins available, spots in the bunkhouse, and a few RV sites and tent camping. You may also book lodging nearby in cabins or motel rooms at Flying Arrow Resort, Eagle Cap Chalets, Wallowa Lake Resort, Wallowa Lake Vacation Cabins, Wallowa Lake Lodge, Indian Lodge Motel and Bronze Antler B&B in Joseph, or RV sites at Park at the River and Wallowa Lake State Park.

Classes and Instructors

Players of all levels are invited to Dulcimer Week! We have classes for everyone, from beginner to advanced. Our faculty lineup features accomplished, nationally-known instructors including Karen Mueller, Aubrey Atwater, Dusty Thorburn, and Bob Webb. Camp begins Sunday evening with an orientation, short performances by the instructors, and an overview of what they have planned for class. Then we circle up for a welcome jam.

Every morning Monday-Friday, we’ll have two class periods with rotating instructors, except for Beginners who will have Bob Webb for the entire morning. Advanced Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced classes will each have two instructors every day. Karen Mueller will teach Intermediate and Advanced, Aubrey Atwater will teach Advanced Beginners and Advanced, and Dusty Thorburn will teach Advanced Beginners and Intermediate.

Afternoon electives at various skill levels will be offered by all instructors for dulcimer, plus other fun topics that may include ukulele, percussion, or singing (feel free to bring your other instruments!). Students are offered about 20 hours of instruction throughout the week, plus we have an open mic, jams, staff concert and other evening activities where you can learn from each other.

One of the most popular aspects of Dulcimer Week is the amount of free time built into the schedule. There is so much here to see and do – you can enjoy Wallowa Lake, take the tram to the top of Mt. Howard, go birding on the backroads or fishing in the Wallowa River, hike up Hurricane Creek, or go into Joseph to check out the museum, galleries and coffee shops. Family members and friends who attend as “non-participants” (companions who spend time on-site but are not taking dulcimer classes) will find many interesting things to occupy their time. See our FAQ page for a list of websites to visit for more recreation information.