Burnham-On-Sea’s annual FolkFest continues today (Saturday) with dozens of live music and dance acts performing across the town.
The ninth annual event, which started on Thursday, will scores of free performances being held across the town plus an arts and crafts sale along the High Street.
Last night (Friday), fans crowded into The Princess to see a concert by the renowned Urban Folk Quartet.
Today, there’s free live music from 1pm to 11pm at The Ritz, The Princess Theatre, The Victoria Hotel, Royal Clarence Hotel, The Somerset & Dorset and The Waterfront, featuring over 50 acts.
These will include Inc.A (right), Surfin’ Turnips, The Ceili, MOD, Bill Smarme & The Bizness, Jim Crawford, Brad McEwen, The Bara Bara Band, De-Malebysse, Laura Victoria, Helen Nicholson, LightGarden, Cross Border and In The Milkwood, as well as such local favourites as The Winkers, Vermin, Driftwood and Rustique, pictured below.
Click here for a full schedule of what’s on and where at Folkfest 2014
There’ll also be shanty singalongs with Vagrants Crew, a uke-along with Carpe Uke, official sessions with Martin Hughes and unofficial performances in the Princess Theatre Bar and Cafe and Mr Bean’s during the day.
Elsewhere, there will also be a street market from 10am to 5pm in the High Street plus traditional dancing outside the Baptist Church from 11am till 2.30pm and storytelling with fairy Hazel Lloyd at the public library at 11.15am.
KidZone at the Baptist Church will have craft fun from 12.30pm till 4.30pm, including a Punch & Judy show at 1pm and a Mermaids, Princess & Pirates show at 3pm.
Also at the Baptist Church there’ll be free workshops with folk singing with Laura Victoria at 1pm: Blues Guitar with Jim Crawford at 2pm: Ukulele with Carpe Uke at 3pm.
There will also be a Meet The Artist session with Brad McEwen at 4pm where you can chat with Brad about Canadian and British folk, Canada itself, the history and practice of the cittern and even the Meaning of Life.
Throughout the day the superb Higher Beings will be performing on the streets of Burnham as stiltwalkers and living statues.
Tomorrow (Sunday), the action moves to Burnham’s Manor Gardens where there’ll be a traders market, KidZone, burgers, ice cream and bar. Musical performers will be Steve James at 1pm; Sun Dog Days at 2pm; local stars Fallen Apples at 3pm; brilliant folk duo The Drystones at 4pm; and the wonderfully colourful bhangra band RSVP at 5pm.
Folkfest Chairman Dom Wills, right, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Once again, a lot of people have worked really hard to raise the money for Folkfest and we’ve managed to put together another great and varied bill.”
“My personal recommendations would be Inc.A, Laura Victoria, Helen Nicholson and The Bara Bara Band, but really there’s something for everyone to enjoy. It should be another cracking weekend,” he added.
More details can be found in the official Folkfest programme, which is available to buy from participating venues, as well as Sea Breeze and Hurleys. You can also download a schedule by clicking here.
