The Museum:
On August 12, 1958, Charles and Dorothy Chase opened the Folk Music Center in Claremont. Two months later the Claremont Courier ran photos and a story on the first international instrument show.

In 1961, Dorothy and Charles opened the Golden Ring, a music cafe (coffee house) in Claremont. It was one of the earliest venues for folk music in the Southern California area, bringing such greats to Claremont as the Reverend Gary Davis, Brownie McGee and Sonny Terry, Doc Watson, Jean Ritchie, Hedy West, John Fahey, the New Lost City Ramblers, Kris Kristofferson, and Guy and Candy Carawan.

In 1976, the Folk Music Center Museum was incorporated as a non-profit educational, cultural corporation. The non-profit has auspices over:

• The museum instrument collection
• Field trips and tours
• A musical instrument loan program to schools
• Exhibits and displays for libraries, schools, and other museums
• Assistance and support for musical instrument making at the high school and college level for music, culture, engineering, and physics projects
• Open mic
• The Claremont Folk Festival

The Festival:
In 1970, a small group of dulcimer players began meeting in Memorial Park in Claremont. They established the annual Dulcimer Festival that grew quickly and soon became known as the Claremont Folk Festival. In 1979, the group formalized into the Claremont Spring Folk Festival forming its own non-profit organization under the auspices of the Folk Music Center Museum Articles of Incorporation. After 26 years, the Festival has dropped the "Spring" to become once again the Claremont Folk Festival. The Festival is supported by fund raising efforts, donations, and sponsers in order to continue the Folk Music Center and Folk Music Center Museum's nearly 50 years of bringing sensational musical talent to the Claremont community.

Last year, in keeping with the tradition of bringing fine musicians to the Claremont community, the Folk Festival is presenting Claremont native, Ben Harper and Jackson Browne in an evening concert fund raiser at Bridges Hall of Music following the Day Festival of music performance, workshops, and activities for children.