Greetings, Portal Irish Music Week Enthusiasts!
As you may have heard, we are getting ready to open registration for the ‘in-person’ 2022 PIMW! What you may not have heard is that we have a new location and new dates!
This year, the camp will be held at the Black Range Lodge, in Kingston, New Mexico. And the dates have changed this year to be September 22-26, 2022. (Be forewarned that this year, our time frame will be during the same window as the Spanish Peaks festival in Colorado).
So I can hear you asking yourself “if it isn’t in Portal, why are they still calling it Portal?”, and the answer is simply that we believe our camp is a great “gateway” for you to improve your Irish Traditional Music skills and repertoire, and we are striving to provide the same kind of immersive experience that we’ve had since our first camp in 2011!
Being that this is our first camp in a new location (and we still have a pandemic that refuses to go away), some things are going to be a bit different this year.
- We will REQUIRE proof of vaccination against COVID-19
- We will follow current CDC guidelines at the time of camp for things like masks and distancing
- Your camp registration and lodging arrangements will be made separately
- Registration will be more of a manual process this year, so that we can make sure you understand all of the changes
- Lodging will be better in a lot of ways, but will likely require you to share a room (so gather your friends and get them all on board!)
- Nearest airports are Albuquerque or El Paso, both about 3 hours away (we will continue to try to help you find transportation from the airports)
- Get travel insurance for your flights, because there could still be new strains of COVID on the horizon. (If camp is canceled, you will receive a full refund)
But many things will stay the same, like your favorite staff members! This year’s camp will feature Brian Conway on Advanced Fiddle, Marla Fibish on Beginner and Advanced Mandolin, Shannon Heaton on Flute/Whistle, Frances Cunningham on Accompaniment (you know her if you joined our 2020 “virtual” camp), Pete Strickler on Tenor Banjo, and Colin Lindsay on Beginner Fiddle and Concertina! We will still be in a beautiful countryside, full of nature, and devoid of things like city traffic, crowded pubs (and reliable cell coverage).
So get yourself ready, because we will start taking registrations on March 1, 2022. The camp will be $550 for the classes, and you will register directly with Susan, our Camp Director. Lodging and food will be handled separately by Catherine at the Black Range Lodge, so once you’re confirmed by Susan, you will contact Catherine to make your accommodation and meal reservations. There is also camping available nearby!
Thank you for your continued support during these difficult times! We look forward to our new home in New Mexico, and can’t wait to see all of our friends back at PIMW 2022!
Sincerely,
Susan, Pete, and the 2022 PIMW Staff