Pete Howard
The Music That Powers the Floor
Pete Howard leads an Arkansas string band steeped in the old‑time fiddle and dance tradition of the Ozarks. His group is built for the dance floor, providing the reels, rags, and breakdowns that have powered community square dances for generations.
At the Arkansas Folklife Festival, Pete and the band team up with caller Willi Carlisle to lead a community square dance where festival‑goers can step onto the floor and join one of the most communal expressions of Ozark social music. No experience needed: Willi calls, Pete plays, and the rest takes care of itself.
Festival Appearances
Find their time and stage at the festival
Related artists
Explore other musicians and makers from the festival.
Jude Brothers
A folk-derived singer-songwriter from Fayetteville playing harp, guitar, and tenor banjo with a style critics have called haunting, whimsical, and deeply captivating.
Pam Setser
A veteran Mountain View multi-instrumentalist and tradition bearer carrying forward the songs and stories of the Ozarks.
Joshua Youngblood
Associate Dean of Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Libraries, leading the Arkansas Folksong Digital Archive.