Fourth folk festival based at Umina

The Umina Beach Folk Festival will be held from 7pm on Friday, October 22 to 6pm on Sunday, October 24.

It is the fourth festival organised by the Troubadour Folk Club, part of the Central Coast Bush Dance & Music Association Inc.

The festival will be based around Umina Primary School and Club Umina, but venues will also include the Everglades Country Club and Woy Woy Bowling Club.

It is expected to be one of the largest folk festivals in Australia.

The festival will feature concerts running simultaneously in three of four venues throughout the weekend from Friday night until Sunday evening.

Over 150 performers from across Australia have been engaged to provide non-stop entertainment.

Performances will include styles from Ireland, the Middle East, Scotland, Greece, England, South America, Polynesia, 12th Century Europe as well as Colonial and contemporary Australia.

There will be world music, bluegrass, bush music, blues, Celtic, classical, gypsy and indigenous music.

Several 90-minute music workshops will be held for instruments such as the bodhran, dobro guitar, drums, tin whistle and the harp.

There will also be workshops on poetry, singing, performing the spoken word, the session experience, preparing for the gig, song-writing and bluegrass guitar.

A singing room will be used as a base for the festival choir.

Everyone will be able to join the choir, participate in practice sessions and perform on the main stage.

A separate area has been set aside for poets' breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

A dance program will be run in a large hall located in Umina Public School and will include a Saturday night contra dance, a Sunday afternoon dancers' favourites dance, a Friday night "welcome" bush dance and a Saturday afternoon family dance.

The hall will also be used for dance workshops all day Saturday and Sunday, where instruction will be given in colonial dance; international dance; contra dance; English country dance; Scottish country dance; and, Irish set dance.

Several dance displays will be given at a nearby venue.

A children's festival including a family fun dance will take place on the Saturday from 11am until 8.30pm, and will continue from 11am until 2.30pm on the Sunday.

Saturday night will also feature a blackboard concert in the Club Bistro where performers place their name on a blackboard and get their chance to entertain club patrons from 6pm to 9.30pm.

A new performance space (COLA 2) is also available at various times throughout the day and night as a blackboard venue, for dance demonstrations and for late night sessions.

Non-booked performers are given preference at these venues.

This year's festival has also added a youth concert on Saturday evening sponsored by the Peninsula's Community Drug Action Team (PCDAT).

The concert is for musicians aged under 25 who will be able to perform music from any culture or genre "unplugged" as a blackboard for youth.

Season tickets for the weekend cost $45 and children under 16 are free if accompanied by a paying adult. Season tickets purchased before September 30 are available on 4342 9099 at the early bird price of $35.

Separate day and evening tickets will be available at the festival.

A free program with details of all the performers is available on request.

Further information is available on the festival website at www.ccbdma.org

Cec Bucello, September 16