A NEW folk festival has been announced for the Snowy Mountains and hopes are it could over time bring thousands of people and dollars to the region. The Great Divide Folk Festival, to be hosted by Nimmitabel School of Arts (Nimmity Artz), will be held at Nimmitabel over three days on 24-26 October this year. Organiser, Kelvin Fahey, said the festival, which would be the second for the region after the long-established Numeralla Folk Festival held each January, would be a grassroots folk festival featuring acoustic music and dance with simple workshops. “Initially we would expect a few hundred people, using The Federal Hotel and Nimmity Artz Gallery, but in time it will grow and we can expand into the showground,” he said. “In a time of event closures and few live venues the Great Divide Folk Festival provides an opportunity for performers and audiences alike to experience live music and dance at the grassroots level, a great start to the Snowy Monaro spring time. “Music focus will cover bluegrass through traditional and modern folk with dance covering various cultural traditions. “No ticketing will be charged, no venue hire or artist fees will be paid, although there could be artist merchandise and tutoring fees. “Walkup/blackboard stages will comprise a minimum of 30 per cent of the festival duration.” Mr Fahey said Nimmity Artz committee had decided to add the folk festival to its list of activities in line with its wish to develop and grow the arts in the area. Nimmity Artz has taken on the Steampunk@Altitude Festival for the first time this year after the chamber of commerce decided not to continue running it. It has also announced that it will organise a new Steampunk New England, taking the best from Steampunk@Altitude and Steampunk Victoriana with old machinery and re-enactments, in Kentucky NSW. “The budget for the folk festival initially will be $3000 and will be held the weekend after Kangaroo Valley Folk Festival,” Mr Fahey said. “We are aiming it at folk music enthusiasts, remembering that there are 10,000 regulars at the National Folk Festival, Woodford, Port Fairy, etc, as well as Canberra day trippers, independent musicians and folk dance enthusiasts.” Mr Fahey said more information about the folk festival would be available soon.
