Three days of top quality, live music will be performed in pubs and clubs across Burnham-On-Sea this weekend when the town’s third annual Folkfest gets underway.
Organisers are making last minute prepations for the festival, which starts this Friday (September 4th).
The opening event at the Ritz Social Club will see Mad Dog McRea in action. The group was formed as a street busking band and have evolved into a popular gigging group that offer a unique blend of Irish and Scottish folk, rock, country and East European tunes. Tickets cost £5 from GC Music in College Street.
Dozens of free music acts and groups will then be in action across Burnham throughout Saturday into the late evening.
They include The Spikedrivers, one of the UK’s foremost blues outfits (pictured top), at 9.30pm in the Victoria, Celtic band Jankie Fardal at 9.30pm in The Lighthouse Inn, Bag of Rats at 8pm in Chaplins, The Roots Union at 8pm in The Railway, The Fos Brothers (pictured above) at the Pier from 9.30pm and The Surfin’ Turnips at the S&D at 9.30pm. Click here for a list of all the Folkfest acts or click here for a schedule.
There will also be kids entertainment throughout Saturday at the Kidzone in the Baptish Church Hall in College Street, where activities will include hair braiding, face painting, badge making, bracelet making, drawing and colouring. Workshops upstairs will include singing, plus guitar and drum playing.
Sunday will see the annual Folk In The Park concert being held in the town’s Manor Gardens. Starting at 12 and running through until 5pm, it will include entertainment from Bag Of Rats, Dave Allen, Dambuskers, Tiger Feet Appalachian Cloggers and Grupo Fuego Flamenco.
Folkfest Chairman Graham Cook, pictured, told Burnham-On-Sea.com this year’s festival has cost more than £11,500 to put on, with much of the cash having to be found through sponsorship, fundraising, council funds and merchandise sales.
“It has been tough this year, but we hope we’ve put on another great line-up of entertainment with something for everyone,” he said.
Folkfest programmes are on sale, priced £2.50, for at GC Music and other shops. Refreshments will be sold on Saturday morning from 10am-1pm at the Princess Hall.
