Lark Traditional Arts (LTA) is a nonprofit formed in 2019, but the community of talent and spirit it supports has been growing for over 40 years in Mendocino and the Bay Area.
LTA began primarily to ensure the continuation of Lark Camp, an 8-day traditional music, song, and dance educational event held annually in the Mendocino Woodlands. Now, six years and one global pandemic later, LTA has carefully grown.
Besides our magical 8-day Lark Camp (held the week and weekends around August 1st every year), we host our annual Jug Handle Campout (early October) on the Mendocino Coast, and our online Virtual Lark (early February), a weekend of free live-streamed workshops and jams. We are also proud to offer our new “LTA Presents” education series, presenting year-round in-person workshops, sessions, and performances in the Bay Area and the Mendocino Coast.
Your Musical Journey, Your Way
We’re excited to help you create memories, learn skills, and take your musical abilities to the next level. Whether you’re a beginner looking to start learning traditional music, song, or dance, or a professional wanting to expand your creative toolkit, LTA has you covered with camps, workshops, jams, classes, and events led by culture-bearing instructors from around the world.
Lark Traditional Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 83-2424940)
Our Mission Statement:
“Lark Traditional Arts (LTA) is dedicated to creating educational events and assets that bring people together through traditional song, music, dance, and arts.”
SAVE THE DATES:
LARK CAMP 2026: July 31st-Aug 8th
2026 Lark Camp T-Shirt Design Contest!
The Lark Camp T-shirt Design contest is OPEN!
To connect with our diversely creative community LTA is excited to announce Lark Camp’s first-ever Lark Camp t-shirt design contest. We know entrants will be standing on the shoulders of giants, as Marina Zekley and Lila Burns have done amazing things designing our t-shirts the past several years, but we are excited to see what the wider group comes up with.
If you’ve ever had a vision for the perfect Lark shirt, sticker, or graphic, now’s your chance to make it real and see your art worn, shared, and celebrated across our community.
Submissions close Dec 5th
Winners announced around the New Year
There will be 3 winners. The prize packages are:
– One winner will receive: $100 and cool Lark merch collection
– Two winners will each receive: $50 cash, 2026 Accordion Babes calendar, and cool Lark merch collection
By entering, the winners give LTA permission to feature their artwork on shirts, stickers, social media, and more. Most importantly—they’ll help shape the look and spirit of Lark Camp’s next steps.
As a small arts nonprofit, we thrive on community engagement and are extremely grateful to all of the artists who take the time to contribute.
We can’t wait to see your designs light up the camp!
👉 Send submissions to: executive.director@larktraditionalarts.org
all entries will be evaluated by the Comms Committee and the Lark Camp Committee
Join the Lark Traditional Arts Fundraiser Walking Tour! Rodney Paul will lead us through San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood on Saturday, November 22, (1–3pm). No signup needed. Just show up!
Meet at the SF Public Library Park Branch, 1833 Page St (between Cole & Shrader).
100% of donations go directly to keeping Lark Camp alive.
This is a 2-hour walking tour that describes why the Haight-Ashbury was the ideal neighborhood to incubate the hippie culture of the 1960s. In particular, it focuses on the importance of music and how the community there launched folk-rock bands including Big Brother & the Holding Company, The Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead. Rodney plays songs in between the stops on the tour, a number of which we will sing together including “White Rabbit,” “Get Together,” “Somebody to Love,” “Me and Bobby McGee” and others. Rodney will provide lyrics for each song and play music on a PA to accompany the group. The length of the tour is 1.5 miles and is mostly flat.
Rodney Paul has been leading walking tours for SF City Guides, the SF Giants, the Berkeley Historical Society and other organizations since 2015. During a 30-year career as a software engineer, he found that his favorite activity was public speaking. His interests include music, political history, art and baseball. You can find a more extensive bio at https://rodneysftours.com/bio
#LarkTraditionalArts#LarkCamp#SanFranciscoTour#HaightAshbury
Your gifts, no matter what size or shape, make a difference. And remember, from campsites to jams, from concerts to living rooms. in person or online, we carry the magic and the spirit that creates Lark Camp within us all year round.
Lark Camp 2025 is a wrap! Thank you for a great time!
Lark Camp 2025 was an amazing time. Thank you to all our campers, instructors, staff, and volunteers. Many a tune, many a dance, many a tasty morsel and jolly laugh were had.
Worlds Of Music
For Lark Traditional Arts, “Worlds Of Music” refers to the diverse and rich musical traditions, songs, and dances from cultures across the globe. It highlights the unique contributions of different communities, blending various musical expressions into a global tapestry that celebrates the shared human experience through rhythm, melody, and movement.
Because, at the core of our work, lies the truism that “Music Connects Community”.
LTA UPCOMING EVENTS
| WHEN | WHAT | WHERE | LINK TO MORE INFO/TICKETS |
| Feb 20, 21, 22, 2026 | Virtual Lark | Online | LINK HERE registration opens early 2026 |
| July 31- Aug 8, 2026 | LARK CAMP | Mendocino Woodlands | LINK HERE registration opens early 2026 |
| Oct 10-12, 2025 | Jug Handle Campout | Jug Handle Creek Farm and Nature Center Caspar, CA (Mendocino Coast) | LINK HERE registration opens late-Summer 2026 |
LTA ETSY STORE
for LTA and Lark Camp T-shirts, hats, merch, and more (https://www.etsy.com/shop/LarkTraditionalArts)
All sales go directly to LTA’s Educational Program, and support our vision of presenting, promoting, and preserving traditional music, arts, and dance from around the globe.