Vermont-based band Eloise & Co. with Rachel Aucoin will appear at the Jesup on Thursday, January 15th for a public workshop and jam session. Local homeschool students and their families are invited to arrive early at 5:30pm for a half-hour Meet n’ Greet session with the band members: Becky Tracy, Rachel Bell and Rachel Aucoin.
This event is part of the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance’s 2026 Winterlude, a two-day artistic residency which includes school visits and an evening concert and dance. This year’s public events include this evening workshop and open jam at the Jesup, and a concert and bal folk dance at College of the Atlantic (Gates Auditorium) on Friday, January 16th at 7:00pm (doors open 6:30pm).
ELOISE & CO: Becky Tracy (fiddle) and Rachel Bell (accordion) of Brattleboro, VT formed Eloise & Co. in 2015 to explore their love of multiple genres, from gritty French tunes to soaring Celtic and Quebecois melodies. They are renowned in the national contra dance sphere, the trad concert circuit, and the increasingly popular bal folk music and dance scene. Bal folk is rooted in French traditional dance styles but has evolved to encompass other European influences and a huge range of musical sounds from rugged old Breton tunes to very modern-sounding “headbanger” grooves. The bal folk phenomenon has taken Europe and the UK by storm and is quickly gaining momentum throughout North America, including Becky and Rachel’s own Brattleboro bal folk monthly dance series just outside Brattleboro.
Rachel Bell’s playing spans an enormous range of emotion, from nuanced and sensitive to exhilarating and powerful, pushing the boundaries of what is expected from an accordion. It is infused with a contagious enthusiasm for her instrument and a deep respect for the musical traditions she carries.
Becky Tracy began playing for contra dancing in Maine, bending her early classical training to the demands of dance music. Later, she studied Irish fiddling styles with Brendan Mulvihill and Eugene O’Donnel and French-Canadian fiddling with Lisa Ornstein. She has been a defining presence in Wild Asparagus and Nightingale, two of the most popular and innovative contra dance bands to come out of New England.
Becky and Rachel found themselves in a spontaneous jam session with Québécois pianist extraordinaire Rachel Aucoin at a music camp in 2017. Her work with dance bands like Domino and Raz-de-marée over the years has cemented her position in the pantheon of legendary backup players. Based in Beaumont, Quebec, she tours widely with a dazzling array of musicians.
Becky, Rachel, and Rachel are excited to invite you into their shared musical delight with a variety of music ranging from old traditional tunes to their own new compositions, all infused with the magnetism that drew them together in the first place. The trio recently recorded their new album, “Avec Elodie,” which was released in October 2025 and is available on Bandcamp.
The second-annual “Winterlude” residency is the Acadia Festival of Traditional Music & Dance’s initiative to give back to the local community that has given the flagship June festival so much life. Last year’s inaugural residency, featuring the Pine Tree Flyers, included programs with students at five local schools, a free workshop and jam session, and lively community dance hosted by College of the Atlantic. By sponsoring school visits with traditional musicians, AFTMD is fulfilling its 501(c)(3) mission to carry forward traditions authentic to Downeast Maine by using music and dance to build bridges between generations and cultures. In addition, all donation proceeds from the Thursday evening workshop/open jam and Friday evening concert and contradance will benefit the Bar Harbor Food Pantry.
The 2026 Festival, which will be held June 21-27, will offer unparalleled instruction in the following majors: Fiddle, Guitar, Piano, Flute, Dance, Community Singing, Bodhran, Bouzouki, Harp, and Mandolin. Registration is open through May 2026 and scholarship applications are available through January 31, 2026.