Tenterden Folk Festival 2019

The Tenterden Folk Festival, situated in the ancient Weald of Kent, about 12 miles west of Ashford, is a friendly, family folk festival happening over four days from Thursday 3rd to Sunday 6th October 2019.

Events at the festival include an English Barn Dance, concerts, sing-a-rounds, music sessions, folk clubs, special shows, a craft fair and street stalls, music stalls, free music and dance stages on the Recreation Ground, Morris dancers, dance displays, procession, showcases, meet the guest spots, workshops, dancers and musicians on the  K&ES Railway, events for children and much more besides.

Festival venues include The Evans Bar and Moulton Hall upstairs in the Tenterden Club, St Mildred’s Parish Church, St Mildred’s Church Hall, The Town Hall, The Saddlery, The Recreation Ground and the High Street,  There are also events in The Woolpack, The White Lion, The Vine, The William Caxton and The Indulgence Cake and Coffee House.

Line-up

Acts include Andy Turner; Dick Miles; Keith Kendrick and Sylvia Needham; Mike Wilson and Damien Barber; Nick Dow; Notts Alliance; Paul and Liz Davenport; Pete Castle; Peter and Barbara Snape; Portsmouth Shantymen; Tom Lewis; Will Pound and Eddy Jay, and more.

For the details as available please see the line-up page.

Concerts

Expect regular music showcase spots in the garden of the Woolpack on both Saturday and Sunday, a Saturday evening concert at the Sinden Theatre, and possibly a concert on Sunday afternoon in the Tenterden Club.

Morris sides

The festival also plays host to 60 Morris sides representing most of the different Morris styles, plus traditional singing workshops, folk trains (musicians and other performers on the steam train) and English Barn Dance.

Morris sides and dance display teams confirmed so far include:- Cornucopia (their first trip to Tenterden), Woodchurch Morris (Every year for 25 years!), Royal Liberty Morris, Sompting Village Morris, Boughton Monchelsea Morris, Gong Scourers, Loose Women Morris, Kent Korkers and Pork Scratchin's, East Kent Morris, Roses are Red plus many more still to be confirmed.

There will be around 50 sides expected at its peak on Saturday. These will include men's sides, women's sides and some mixed sides and take in all the various styles of Morris including Cotswold, Border, Molly, clog and garland, and more. One of the many highlights will be the procession on Sunday which will include most of the dancers present. Many of the dancers will be staying on for Sunday as well.

Tickets

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Tickets are on sale, currently priced at £59 for a weekend adult ticket (does not include the Thursday Evening [AKF] Concert).
Thursday Evening (AKF) Concert is priced at £10.
Camping £22 extra.
Caravan/campervan: £25

Free events

All the events in the White Lion, the Woolpack, the Woolpack Marquee and the Vine are usually free as are all the dance displays around the town and the procession. Entry to the craft fair in the Town Hall and the Music Fayre in a new venue the Main Hall of Tenterden Junior School are also free and there will be more stalls in the High Street as usual.

Procession

Tenterden Folk Festival will also include a procession of Morris and other folk dancers, street entertainers, giants, and mascots on Saturday. The procession is a walking procession and leaves Recreation Ground Road at 3pm to process to the Coach Park in Station Road and does not include motor vehicles. Following the procession there will be a display by some of the 40 plus Morris sides and other folk dance display teams attending the festival.

Sing-a-rounds & music sessions

Lunchtime or evening sing-a-rounds or music sessions take place in the Woolpack, White Lion, Vine, or Tenterden Club. Festival goers can join in the tunes being played by musicians who will be there from Friday evening to late Sunday night. These events are very much participatory but attendees can also come along and listen.

Workshops

The festival also offers a wide range of workshops where you can hear about folk related topics or traditions or improve your own skills.

Camping

The camp site at The Woodlands Park now caters for tents, caravans and motor caravans. It is situated on the A262 just 3 miles from Tenterden Town Centre. As the site is not within easy walking distance of the town centre the organisers usually provide a shuttle bus service. The campsite will be available from Thursday afternoon to Monday morning, caravan / campervan prices have not yet been announced.

More information will be here when available.

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