Holmfirth Festival 2010

Friday 7th to Sunday 9th May 2010
various venues around Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, HD9 7BB, England MAP
FREE (some events require tickets)

Last updated: Fri 7th May 2010

The festival takes place in the local pubs and on the streets of Holmfirth, West Yorkshire from Friday 7th until Sunday 9th May 2010. This is the fifth Holmfirth Festival of Folk and once again most events are free but collections will be taken. The only paid events are the concerts in the Old Bridge function room and the Ceilidh. Tickets were introduced mainly as a means of controlling numbers.

The festival consists of music sessions, concerts, singarounds, folk clubs and workshops in almost all the pubs in Holmfirth.

Line-up

this year the festival will boast an outdoor stage on the Saturday. Events will run from 1pm to 6pm and artists will include Harp and a Monkey, Gary Stewart, Stafford Galli, The Boat Band, Ottersgear and a selection of dance sides.

Belshazzar's Feast, Miriam Backhouse, Jeff Warner, Rory Ellis, Show of Hands, Rachel McShane Band, Ewan McLelland, Sarah Horn & James Cudworth, Pete Coe, Dave Burland, Chris Coe, Ray Hearne, Hissyfit, Boyle, Tyrrall, Boyle, Wizz Jones, Zoox and many more in addition to regular hosts Fyrish, Ray Padgett, String Theory and Hamish Currie are the first acts to be confirmed. The other acts have not yet been announced.

The Saturday Ceilidh will be dancing to The Boat Band with caller Peter Bearon and the Good Egg Band playing for the free Family Ceilidh on Sunday.

Other entertainment

Expect also over 20 Morris and World Dance sides to be performing over the weekend and street musicians and the full participation of local schools. There will be workshops in French dancing, Egyptian belly dance and Salsa.

The Procession and Dance Display - not to be missed - will take place on Saturday afternoon as usual from 3.30 - 5.00 starting at the Memorial Gardens, along Hollowgate, over the Toll House Bridge and along Huddersfield Road, up Cooper Lane to Victoria Park for a spectacle of dance.

Show of Hands are booked for the Picturedrome (for which you will need to purchase tickets telephone 01484 689759) on Friday and the Rachel McShane Band will start Saturday night before the Latin Night takes over.

Once again most of the spaces in Holmfirth will be included in the Festival. The Old Bridge will be the main information and concert venue and therell be bands in the White Hart, Y Bar, The Nook, Harrows, The Postcard, Herveys and the Cricket Club. Artists will be at Les Caveaux, Carniceria and Shoulder of Mutton and Smyth's will be holding Open Mic sessions with surprise guests and a special young peoples session on Saturday afternoon.

The Parish Church will have a full programme on Saturday afternoon and a concert following the Festival Service on Sunday morning. A special Spoken Word event will be at Sid's Cafe on Saturday evening and there will be ample opportunity for participation in Folk Clubs at the White Hart and singarounds and sessions at the Postcard/Stamps and in a variety of workshops. The ceilidh will once again be in the Market Hall with a licensed bar and craft stalls all weekend.