Alberta Swing Camp Number Seven – July 2-4, 2027

Details about the 2027 camp will appear here as they develop.

Last update: October 28, 2026.

Date

In order to minimize conflicts with the many things going on this summer (festivals, Nimble Fingers, etc.) July 2-4, 2027 seems to be the best weekend to hold the camp. This weekend has worked pretty well in previous years and we have had an increase in the number of attendees year over year.

Event Description

Hey fans and players of swing music and Django Reinhardt! Join us for a weekend of camping and jamming July 2-4, 2027 in central Alberta. The focus is acoustic swing music including swing tunes from the great American songbook, Western swing and the music of Django Reinhardt and the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. Acoustic guitars, bass, violins, violas, clarinets, mandolins, accordions, singers, etc. are all welcome. All playing levels are welcome. There will be some experienced players there but newer players are encouraged to come and learn as well. We can split into separate jams for different playing levels.

Activities

Jamming

There will lots of opportunities for jamming all weekend, and there will be enough people we can split into two or three separate groups depending on skill levels.

Instruction

In the past we have had several great music teachers: Cam Neufeld on swing violin/hot club guitar, and Phill West, Rick Moore, Clint Pelletier, Jeremy Doody, Robert Walsh and Kevin Jacobson on hot club guitar and swing bass.

Instructors for 2027 are to be decided.

Depending on interest we can run some additional workshops and beginner instruction as necessary. Possible topics: rhythm guitar, basic swing chords, basic hot club chords, la pompe, repertoire, upright swing bass, mandolin, violin, etc.

Other Activities

If you really need a break from jamming there is a nice park not far away. You could go biking, swimming, etc.

Location

The first camp was held in 2021 at a group campground in Blackfalds, Alberta. In 2022 to 2026 the camp was held at a private location in Alberta, Canada about a two-hour drive south of Edmonton, one-hour drive north of Calgary not far from the town of Bowden. It is a nice location and works great so we are back there again in 2027.

There is a large grassy area to pitch a tent or park a trailer and set up jam areas. There are some trees around for shade if you like. It is fairly private, away from other facilities so we can jam all we want without interruption or bothering anyone. Please bring pop-up gazebos for shade and rain shelter if you have them. Potable well water is on site. Bring your own water if you prefer. We are renting two outdoor portapotties.

Directions

This is on someone’s personal acreage so for privacy reasons we will give the exact location only to registered participants. I printed out some small signs with our guitar hero on it, to put along the roads near the property to help with navigation.

Somewhere near here – not far from Olds and Bowden, Alberta!

Stuff to Bring

Tent or RV
Bring your own food, drinks, toiletries, clothing (for all seasons – it’s Alberta you know), supplies, etc.
Acoustic instruments, tuner
Charts (paper, electronic, iReal pro) – some extras to share if possible
Music stand, chairs
Pop-up gazebo
Propane fire ring
Flashlight
Solar-powered lights
Bug spray
A bit of cash if you want to order takeout food, or buy a t-shirt
Battery-backed power


For Saturday night dinner we have ordered some takeout from a nearby restaurant. There is a decent Thai food restaurant in Olds. You can participate in that if you like, we’ll put together an order together in the afternoon.

Registration and Costs

The costs are going to be shared among attendees (no profit here). I am collecting enough to cover the portapotties and paying the instructors (instruction, gas money and food). If there is left over money I hold it for next year’s camp. The price is based on projected costs, but it has always been a pretty cheap weekend for camping and instruction. Price yet to be decided! It will likely be a little more than last year to make sure that we have enough to cover costs. But it will still be pretty cheap for a whole weekend.

To reserve a spot, please send an etransfer of $TBA to:

Kevin Jacobson – kevin@albertaswingcamp.ca

Please email me with your name, email address, instrument(s), skill level and what kind of camping setup to expect (tent, trailer, etc.).

Please email me if you have more questions.

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