Each year in Canberra, Australia, the Easter long weekend sees people from all over the world congregate at Exhibition Park for the National Folk Festival. Singers, poets, artists and craftspeople from all over Australia and the world gather in a celebration of traditional culture and good music.
The energetic and rowdy Morris dancing groups with their stick whacking and jingling bells are always a particular highlight. Both world renowned traditional folk singers and amateur buskers from as young as six add their talents to the intoxicating mix of music.
Stall holders selling food from Germany, Thailand, Laos, Greece, Italy and other countries keep the thousands of campers and local visitors well fed. Visitors to the festival can buy anything from hand made accordions, bohdrans, dulcimers, harps and more exotic instruments.
The festival has a unique family atmosphere with people from all ages and walks of life enjoying the music together in a warm environment, despite the sub-zero temperatures endured during the evenings.
For the first year at the festival there was an element of Asian culture, with lion dance performances by a Canberra based Wu Shu academy and also traditional Chinese dances presented by Falun Dafa practitioners from Queensland and Sydney.
The 2006 festival focused on performers from QLD, with many braving the colder climate to participate in this fantastic event.
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