NorthEast Regional Folk Alliance

Welcome to the new www.nerfa.org website.  It is a blend of new, old and something borrowed web components. 

We have implemented this improved website using open source programs and components - the "borrowed" part.  All of these components are free under the GNU/GPL license.  When donations were available for submission on components we liked and have used we contributed to the author to provide continued support and development. 

There have been many internal improvements in the so called back-end of the registration system.  One important upgrade was our interface with PayPal.  Your NERFA Shopping Cart is now uploaded to Paypal when you checkout and have chosen to pay with your credit card, funds in your PayPal account or with an echeck.  Your PayPal invoice that is emailed to you when you complete the transaction will have detailed line items for each person or group registered - no longer will you see a lump sum item called "NERFA". 

The Volunteer registration has been streamlined also.  We used to have two different registration tracks; one for volunteer and one for a regular registration.  Now, everyone will follow the standard conference registration track and at the end of the regular form you will be asked if you also want to volunteer at the conference.  If so, you will be taken to a short form where some additional information will be entered about your availability.  This may seem to be a simple change on the surface but is a major improvement in how the NERFA office processes your registration.

At the website's foundation is a product called Joomla - an open source Content Management System (CMS) that will allow the NERFA team to easily update information on the site in the form of articles (your reading one) without having to learn HTML web programming.  It will also provide us with the ability to add on major subsystems in the future (the "new" part) such as banner ads for you and your showcases or exhibit hall table, a photo gallery, moderated forum, classified ads for regional gigs available and wanted plus equipment and instrument sales.  We will also create a links section of  recommended websites (all recommendations gladly accepted).  Of course these additions will occur over time.  Many of the links to the upcoming conference registration forms and "downloadable" materials are already in place but not "published". 

We want the new www.NERFA.org website to not just be a site for the annual conference registration in November (the "old") but become a resource for members of the Northeast Region of the Folk Alliance International.

So check back often and enjoy.  Please send all comments, complaints, bug reports and suggestions to the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or use the handy Contact Webmaster form under the About NERFA menu tab above.