“We also look to include a good proportion of young performers and children’s entertainers in the line-up,” she added. This year’s festival will also be an opportunity to celebrate the legacy of its founder, Peter Thornton, who passed away in June. His wife Annie and her fellow committee members are determined that 2017 will see another great event of which Peter would be proud.
FLEURIEU FOLK FESTIVAL By Chris Horsman Fleurieu Folk Festival will be proudly celebrating its 11th year when it takes place at Willunga from Friday 27 October until Sunday 29 October with an impressive line-up of performers. These will include Kristina Olsen, Alan Gogoll, Ken Nicol, Greg Champion, Cocheol, The BordererS, Fiona Ross, Rowena Wise, Tim Moore, Tom Richardson, Anatole Road, Astrail, Tom Richardson, Brushwood, Deb Tapfield, Dodsworth & Dodsworth, Fascisimo, Jen Lush, Kc Guy, Maggie Murphy & Liz, Rebecca Wright & Donald McKay, Saltwater Taffy, Snail, Springtide, Steve Ashley, Telenn Tri, The Connection, The Humbuckin’ Pickups and Trouvers.
The festival attracts many hundreds of performers and music lovers to Willunga’s Recreation Park and surrounding venues – almost a dozen in all – and will once reverberate with the sound of traditional and contemporary folk music from around the world as well as covering genres such as blues, bluegrass, roots music and Celtic traditions.
‘The festival [which will also boast open mics and jam sessions along with activities for children workshops as well as great food and arts and crafts] continues to go from strength to strength,” director Val Corfield said. “Each year we receive expressions of interest from a significant number of top quality entertainers from all over Australia and overseas. It makes selecting acts for the program extremely difficult but, ultimately, allows us to present a fantastic range of engaging artists to our audiences.
Named Community Event Of The Year in the 2016 City Of Onkaparinga Australia Day Awards, the family-friendly Fleurieu Folk Festival is packed with music concerts and sessions, dance, workshops, children’s entertainment and stalls. It is a great opportunity to get involved in an award winning community event as a volunteer, while patrons will be duly rewarded with a range of fringe benefits.
“We really appreciate our wonderful volunteers and the local business owners who support the festival,” Val also commented “Our gratitude also goes to the locals who billet our interstate and international performers.” Fleurieu Folk Festival runs from Friday 27 October until Sunday 29 October in Willunga with tickets here.