By VANESSA CHIRCOP
THE fifth annual Newport Folk Festival is set to be held the first weekend in July.
Festival organisers promise there will be enough music, activities, food and company to warm even the chilliest of winter blues.
The festival, which is set to be held on the 6-8 July, will feature workshops for all ages, concerts, kids’ activities, choirs, jam sessions and artists’ markets.
Among the several artists and bands that will be performing at the festival, local band Parapluie will also take to the stage.
The acoustic folk trio, who met at Williamstown High School, have been performing together for five years.
Member Tessa Clark said she was looking forward to taking part in the festival for the second time.
“We like to gig locally,” she said. “It’s nice to be able to give our support.”
Tessa said the Newport Folk Festival should not be overlooked by young people in Hobsons Bay.
“Come take a break from study, have a coffee and listen to good music,” she urged.
Apart from performances people can join workshops to learn juggling, percussion, Didgeridoo, how to play blues guitar, Cajun music, gypsy fiddle and even learn how to sing in three-part harmony.
The feature event of the festival is Ashley Davies’ production of Ned Kelly at The Substation.
The event will include a multimedia show and features a live, six-piece band, performing under projected archival documents and photos from the State Library of Victoria’s La Trobe picture collection.
This ticketed evening event is at The Substation on Saturday 7 July. For more details of the festival visit www.nffc.org.au.