When strolling through the vendors at Manhattan’s weekly farmer’s market, shoppers may hear the sound of acoustic instruments and singing voices. The sweet sounds come from behind George LeRoux’s table, where a group of instrumentalists sits, enjoying themselves while playing folk music. 

LeRoux, owner of Flint Hill’s Prairie Bison Reserve, has been selling bison meat and holding jam sessions at the farmer’s market since 1999.

“It’s just a bunch of local musicians, you know?” LeRoux said. “We like to get together and play music. Some of us has played in a band in the past. Me and Brian played in a band called The Haymakers for a while. The rest are just local musicians.”

LeRoux said there has been a rolling jam for about 30 years that continues today. Originally, the musicians played together every Thursday night, before moving to Fridays when the group would jam until midnight. Eventually, they lost players for various reasons, and there were no longer enough instruments. However, the group experienced a revival. 

“It kind of slid, and then, all of a sudden, it was picked up with one of the original jam members from 15 years earlier, 20 years earlier,” LeRoux said. “The next thing you know, there’s a conglomeration of musicians getting together every week to continue it on, and that jam still goes on today, every Tuesday night.”

On Tuesdays, the group gets together in a more private setting to play, where local musicians and their spouses can come together and enjoy the music. 

LeRoux said most of those local musicians are people that he considers long-time friends, including Dan Richards. 

“I’ve known George for a long time, but I didn’t start playing guitar ‘till I was 42,” Richards said.

Richards is also a long-time member of the group; however, he had no previous musical background before joining. 

“When I first got hooked up with these guys in the jam, I wasn’t even playing,” Richards said. “Then I started playing, so I just went to the jam, sat in the back and watched and tried to emulate. We’ve been playing together off and on ever since.” 

LeRoux had no specific goal in mind when the musical group formed. He was simply jamming with his friends and enjoying the moment. Richards said that carefree approach is what sets their group apart from bands. 

“There’s always an ulterior motive,” Richards said. “Here, there’s no ulterior motive, and I think that’s what makes it unique.” 

The group’s welcoming atmosphere is another defining characteristic. The crew encourages anyone to hop in and join jam sessions. 

“Sing along if you want, or play along, bring your guitar and sit in,” said LeRoux. “It’s an open jam. Anybody can come play with us.”

For LeRoux, the open jam is about bringing the music community together by sharing one thing: a song.

Richards thinks that the spontaneity of jam sessions makes them even more entertaining and accessible to people who may not have the chance to hear live music often. 

“So many people don’t have the time or the means to go to organized functions,” Richards said. “Spontaneous stuff like this just gives people a chance to hear something, relax and maybe have a good time. Maybe hear an old song or two they haven’t heard in a long time.”

Along with market visitors, vendors nearby also enjoy hearing the music every Saturday morning. Kat Sellers works for a booth close to LeRoux’s that sells baked goods and said she has heard the sounds of folk music ever since she started working at the farmer’s market in December 2024. 

“Rain or shine or snow, they’re out there, at least a couple of them,” Sellers said.

Showcasing local artists and music is important to Sellers. She often sees a crowd form to listen and join the jam sessions on Saturday. 

“Normally, the coffee cart is right there, so it’s, like, a line of people for the coffee and the music, so it’s just a huge group of people,” Sellers said. “This is the prime spot, honestly.”

Over the years, Saturday morning folk music has become part of the atmosphere for shoppers and vendors alike. 

“I think it’d be very quiet and sad if they weren’t here anymore,” Sellers said. 

As long as the musicians keep showing up, the Saturday morning jam will remain a familiar part of the market, bringing the music community together one song at a time.