In the USA and Canada one of the best ways to find the folk music scene is to contact the local folk music society. There are such societies in many North American cities, and each can direct you to concerts, pub gigs, open sessions, radio and TV programs, festivals, etc. in its region. Most often these societies sponsor events of their own, but they will guide you to events sponsored by others.

The Folk Music Society of New York, also called the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club, is just one example. If you check out its website, you will find many New York City metro area events, but you will also find links to similar societies in other cities, including some links to the UK.

The web address for the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club is:

http://members.aol.com/nypinewood/club.html

--- Steve