Los Angeles Old Time Social

Los Angeles Old Time Social opened on Friday, May 15, with a house concert in El Sereno and continued Saturday with a daylong program at the Velaslavasay Panorama in Los Angeles. Organizers describe the event as the 16th edition of a festival devoted to American old-time fiddle and banjo music. The weekend program combines a Friday concert with Saturday workshops, jams and square dancing, according to the festival’s website and venue listings. We Like L.A. listed the event among its weekend picks for May 15-17 in Los Angeles. ### Where is the festival happening this weekend? El Sereno hosted the Friday kickoff concert, which organizers said featured an intimate house-show format at Serenito Social Club. The festival’s own listing said the concert included special guest Ben Townsend from West Virginia and an opening set by Tula B. Strong. A separate event listing gave the address as 3246 Kenneth Drive in Los Angeles and said doors opened at 6 p.m. (welikela.com) Saturday, May 16, shifted the festival to the Velaslavasay Panorama. The venue’s events page lists the program from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. and says tickets range from $20 to $45. The Panorama describes the event as “One big day of Old Time Music, Workshops, Jams & Square Dancing.” ### Who are the named performers on this year’s bill? Ben Townsend is the clearest named headliner in the 2026 lineup. (losangelesoldtimesocial.com) The Los Angeles Old Time Social website says the West Virginia musician appears at the Friday concert and returns Saturday for workshops, jams and the dance program. Organizers said he will teach a fiddle workshop focused on West Virginia fiddlers Sloan Staggs and Israel Welch. (panoramaonview.org) Tula B. Strong is the other named performer identified in the available listings. Organizers said Strong opens Friday’s concert, and a separate event page describes her as a Liberian-American banjoist, choreographer and educator. ### What actually happens on Saturday besides a concert? The Saturday program is built as an all-day participatory event rather than a single evening show. The Velaslavasay Panorama listing says the schedule includes workshops, jams and square dancing. (losangelesoldtimesocial.com) We Like L.A. said the day also includes a “musical cakes” walk, describing the event as a full day of musical immersion at the Panorama theater. Ticketing pages use similar language. Ticket Tailor says the event is “one day of a big ol’ old-time music fest” and places it on the Saturday before the Topanga Banjo & Fiddle Contest. Another calendar listing says the all-day format runs from noon to 10 p.m. at the Panorama. ### How does this fit into the wider Southern California folk calendar? We Like L.A. said the Old Time Social serves as the lead-up to Sunday’s Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival. (panoramaonview.org) The listing says that event is scheduled for King Gillette Ranch on May 17. Ticket Tailor’s description for the Los Angeles gathering also places it on the Saturday before the Topanga contest, linking the two events on the regional old-time and folk calendar. (tickettailor.com) The sequence matters because the Los Angeles event is presented as a weekend bridge between a Friday concert and a larger Sunday gathering. Organizers did not describe it as a standalone one-night show; the published schedule instead spreads activity across multiple locations and days. ### Where can people check the remaining details? The Los Angeles Old Time Social website carries the core lineup information, including Ben Townsend’s role in both the Friday concert and Saturday workshops. (welikela.com) The Velaslavasay Panorama page lists Saturday’s time window and ticket prices, while We Like L.A. includes the event in its May 15-17 weekend guide. Sunday, May 17, is the next date attached to the festival’s public-facing weekend arc, with We Like L.A. pointing readers to the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest & Folk Festival at King Gillette Ranch. (welikela.com) Saturday’s Los Angeles program remains scheduled through 10 p.m. at the Velaslavasay Panorama, according to the venue listing. (losangelesoldtimesocial.com)