FOLK WITH BELLS ON

Four days of festivities – and plenty of them free – what’s not to like at the Tenterden Folk Festival? It’s celebrating a big year this week. Angela Cole brings a flavour of the folk fun

It’s been bringing its sights and sounds to Tenterden for a quarter of a century.

The 25th Tenterden Folk Festival, which is held this week, brings more than 50 events over four, full days in around 12 venues, plus some 40 morris sides and dance display teams. Organisers have pulled out all the stops and arranged extra events to make the 25th anniversary festival the biggest yet.

With many free events, festivities start at 11.30am on Thursday with a song and music session led by John and Di Cullen and friends in the bar of the William Caxton.

Many of the free fun takes to the town centre streets on Saturday and Sunday, with marquees on the Recreation Ground, plus a craft fair, real ale bar and a dance stage for morris dancing and entertainment. On Friday there will be song and music sessions at lunchtime and in the evening in The White Lion, The William Caxton and The Woolpack, plus guest spots in the Secret Pantry and Indulgence, as well as a band showcase in the Vine Inn.

There will be concerts, folk clubs, workshops, and one of the highlights will be the barn dance on Friday, October 6 in Moulton Hall at Tenterden Club, off the High Street from 7.30pm, with four-piece Jezreels Ceilidh Band, featuring Doug Hudson, Steve Moreham, Chris Taylor and Mike Peters. The main concerts will be on Saturday and Sunday, although there will also be a fundraising concert on the Thursday in the Town Hall.

There will also be informal sing-arounds, music sessions and sessions in the four town centre clubs, plus children’s entertainment.

Tenterden Folk Festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and organisers have pulled out all the stops with extra events to make it the biggest festival to date

The big Folk Festival procession will pass through the town centre from 3pm on Saturday