Weekend of Western promise
THE Welshpool Country Music Festival will return to the Powis Castle Showground on the weekend of July 19-21, with 25 acts and three stages.
The festival is a fundraising event brought by the Heulwen Trust, which is a charity dedicated to providing free boat trips for those who are less abled. The charity now operates two narrow boats, the newest having been launched in 2009.
The festival, which started in 1988, has been going from strength to strength, with many visitors returning year after year. The site is within walking distance of the charming old market town of Welshpool.
The show starts on the Friday evening at the Saloon Stage, and continues through to the Sunday evening.
On Saturday (10.45am) and Sunday (9.45am) the festivities begin with the Welshpool Westerners charge down the bank in traditional costume with guns* blazing, to the tune of “The South Will Rise Again”. (*replica pistols only please!)
Each year the festival is closed with The Trilogy, and this year Pedro will lead the singing of the Trilogy.
The line-up includes Steve Cherelle with his John Denver Tribute Show; The Danny Lee Band (Danny previously fronted the very popular Band Named Sioux, which toured Europe and Ireland in the 1990s); Saskia, who in influenced by Olivia Newton-John and Shania Twain; Louise Parker (who describes herself as “a modern country singer/ songwriter with American enthusiasm and good ol’ fashioned English self-deprecating humour!”); Tennessee Waltz, a highly experienced and professional acoustic vocal harmony duo with a passion for all things country and Americana.
Check out the festival website to find out more about these and the other acts which will be performing.
The Western bar is open from the Friday evening, with local bar prices, and there will be food stalls on the site, which cater from a light snack to a tasty meal.
Apart from the music there will be plenty to see and do, including a free boat trip from the festival site to the local canal, and if you are in Western dress, you will be entitled to half-price admission to the nearby National Trust property, Powis Castle. You can also watch the Welshpool Westerners running their fast draw competition (the winner receives a tankard and a cash prize). They will also let you try your hand at knife and axe throwing.
Weekend tickets cost £40 per person (including camping), while day tickets cost £15. Camping and caravanning is only available for those who buy a weekend ticket.
● For an up-to-date line-up, to order your tickets, and for any other information you may need, including the facilities on the site, and how to get there, see countrywestern.org.uk – to find out more about the work of the Heulwen Trust check out heulwentrust.co.uk