Hooden Horses, Clarence the dragon, Morris dancers and more are out on the streets, pubs and seafront for Broadstairs Folk Week.
The event began on Friday (August 9) with the parade taking place yesterday from the top of the High Street at Pierremont Avenue, processing down the High Street and onto the seafront promenade, finishing with a celebration of dance and music at the bandstand.
Headline concerts feature Oysterband, Le Vent du Nord, Daphne’s Flight, Kathryn Tickell & the Darkening, Jim Moray, Tim Edey, Jim Causley, Richard Digance, Banter, the Monster Ceilidh Band, Alden Patterson, Jez Lowe, Hill Top Ceilidh Band, Bird in the Belly, Tarren, Harmonia, A J Clarke, Zulu Tradition, Brown Boots Boogie Band, Teilhard Frost, Tin Giants, Wychbury.
The concerts are in the Queen’s Road Baptist centre and ceilidhs and dances are at the Sarah Thorne Theatre. Special events this year include shows: the Folk Detectives; Shantyskeptic; The New Radio Ballads – “In the Footsteps of Ewan Maccoll.” The London Folk Club Story; Girl Talk and Music Hall.
There are also workshops for African, Belly dancing, Ukulele bands, a festival choir, songwriting, poetry breakfasts, sketching walks, shanties and knitting. They’ll be a Gentle Ceilidh, supported by Chartwell Boutique Care Homes and a fancy dress Sci-Fi Ceilidh with the wonderful Banter.
Younger folk are well-catered for with the free Hobby Hobby Horse Club at the bandstand with Clarence the Dragon and the Hooden Horses, mascots of the festival. Plus, creative workshops, circus skills and hoola-hooping.
The Folk Week runs until August 16.
Find out more and book online at www.broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk
Folk Week has been wonderful so far. Busy, but not too busy. The tents didn’t seem to have too much traffic this afternoon though. Glad most everyone is having a good time. Nice to have comments turned on btw. Freedom of Speech is essential for a civilized society. #Together
Sadly the days of free speech are numbered, if not gone already.
Best avoid all of it … it attracts the worst kind of peolpe ….