Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival

26th, 27th & 28th October 2012

We welcome old and new Festival patrons to Dorrigo Mountain for an intimate and friendly three-day weekend of accoustic music featuring some of Australia's best Folk & Bluegrass and Old-time country musicians.

It's a time when our picturesque Dorrigo showground comes alive with concerts, workshops, dance, jamming, impromptu performances, poetry and children's entertainment.

The Tenth Annual Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival held this year was a resounding success.
Beautiful mountain weather, a wonderful atmosphere, enthusiastic and talented performers along with happy and responsive crowds all combined to make it by far the best Festival we've held so far.

Attendance was well up this year, yet the event retained its relaxed, laid back "under the oak trees" vibe - big enough to draw Australia's top class acts, yet intimate and accessible enough to be known as "a Great Little Festival".

We would like to thank everyone who came along and made it such an enjoyable weekend. From the feedback we have received, we know that many of you can't wait to come back next year.
A big thank you also to all the exceptional artists who gave some truly unforgettable performances and imparted their insights, skills and heritage in the workshops.
The Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival would not be possible without the continued hard work of the organising committee and behind the scenes volunteers - a huge well-deserved thank you to you all.

In recognition of being a “premier acoustic music” event, with top class artists wanting to perform each year, The Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival was recently awarded the status of a “Regional Flagship Event” for 2011 by NSW Tourism. This should significantly raise the profile of the Festival and attract an even wider audience to experience its unique charm.

There are many visitors who return to Dorrigo every year for this Festival because of the great atmosphere, and the opportunity to jam with fantastic and sometimes famous musicians under a shady tree or round the campfire..

Featured Artists:

Just some of the featured artists for 2011 were:

Bluegrass Parkway

The Bushwackers

The Lurkers,  Coolgrass

Hunter and Suzy Owens

Ami Williamson,

The Barefoot Folk Orchestra

Dear Orphans,  Spot the Dog

The Perch Creek Family Jug Band

Ewan MacKenzie Duo,

Innes Campbell & Present Company

Big Bug Trio,  Fat Wombat

For a more complete list of performers, further artist information, and performer bio's, please go to the "Artists" page…

Performer Applications for the 2012 Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival  will be opening in February 2012. - We would like to thank all the performers who have applied this year. In the meantime, performers are welcome to submit an "expression of interest" via our contact page.

To mark 2011 being the 10th Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival, the organising commitee commissioned local Dorrigo artist Marilyn Wall to produce new logos and artwork. As you can see, the resulting artwork is spectacular. Marilyn says that in her illustration design she  “endeavoured to capture the ever-changing beauty of our Dorrigo and the light hearted, community feeling of the festival...”

Up-Coming Concerts and Events

Music to Warm the Soul in Dorrigo

You don’t have to wait until the 10th Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival in October to get your fill of some wonderful and talented performers. In the lead up to the festival,  Dorrigo will be the destination of some well traveled musicians who will bring their unique sounds to town.

We are very pleased and privileged to have Folk Legend Peggy Seeger from the United States appearing in Dorrigo on the 5th & 6th of January 2012 for one concert performance at the Dorrigo Old Gazette Theatre, and also an intimate evening with Peggy Seeger talking about her life and music at the Food Angel Cafe (including a 3 course meal...)

Peggy Seeger in Concert

Friday 6th January

Old Gazette Theatre Dorrigo

7.30pm start    $25

Bookings at Hickory Wholefoods – 6657 1002
Enquiries  –  contact Bridget  0428 415078

A Night with Peggy Seeger

(Speaking about her life & music…)

Thursday 5th January

Dorrigo Food Angel Café  6pm

$38  (includes 3 course meal)

Bookings at Food Angel Café Dorrigo  – 6657 2356

Alex and Annette Hood - Australian Folk Theatre

“AN ACT FOR ALL AGES, A SHOW FOR ALL SEASONS”

Sat 17th December 2:30pm

Dorrigo Old Gazette Theatre

$6 Children   $12 Adults

There will be a family picnic afterwards, by the river at Bielsdown Park, where Alex & Annette will be singing.  (Picnic at the “Rec” Sports Centre if wet…)

Bookings at Hickory Wholefoods – 6657 1002
Enquiries  –  contact Bridget  0428 415078

Some of the other artists to perform concerts recently in Dorrigo are

The Whitetop Mountaineers

Martha Spencer and Jackson Cunningham. Old-time mountain music and flat-foot dancing from Whitetop Mountain Virginia USA

The Hottentots - Carl Cleves and Parissa Bouas

Carl Cleves and Parissa Bouas are a duo whose "wonderfuly textured quilt of beautiful and meaningful songs" creates an intimate and moving concert experience. Classic folk melodies combine with strong lyrics and an international flavour to provide a well-focused, fresh and definative sound.

The New Worlds - US Feature Artists

Four brilliant musicians from the home of Bluegrass music, the good old USA - featuring  Dave Goldenberg, Ryan Drickey, Josh Philpott, Adam Chaffins
Dave Goldenberg is one of the most open-minded mandolin players living in North America today. As one of the first mandolin graduates of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, he has embraced and been exposed to a variety of music. He spent many years studying bluegrass, which in many ways, still informs a lot of what he does today.
Fiddler Ryan Drickey's influences range from the 20th century classical virtuoso tradition to the rural old-time fiddling of Appalachia, to the intricate dance rhythms of Scandinavian fiddle music. He won the Rockygrass fiddle contest in 2007.  His current projects include The New Worlds, The Expedition Quartet, and Finnders & Youngberg.
Josh Philpott is a guitarist and singer with a love for acoustic music and a taste for complexity. While receiving an education in jazz and classical guitar, Josh concurrently explored the worlds of old-time, bluegrass, country, and blues.
Being from eastern Kentucky, Adam Chaffins' music has influences from his Appalachian roots, and bridges the gaps between Jazz, folk, and bluegrass.

Dorrigo "Folk in the Round"

Would you like to get together with an informal group of Old-time, Country,  Folk and Bluegrass enthusiasts for a fortnightly  "in the round" jam and singalong. The atmosphere is relaxed and there is usally a range of ages and experience levels present - from new folk through to seasoned veterans...  each week has its surprises...

Folk in the Round is on every second Sunday from around 1:30pm to 4pm at Hickory House, 50 Hickory St Dorrigo  -    Contact Bridget  6657 1224

Festival Programme:

View or Download the 2011 Festival Programme .........

Download the 2011 Festival Poster........

Festival Artwork by Marilyn Wall

Festival Photography courtesy of Peter Mulheron and Clare Colins - many thanks.

The Tenth Annual Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival  -  A "Regional Flagship Event for 2011" -  through Tourism NSW

Festivals Australia is providing funding for the "Bushwacking on the Plateau" Youth Project featuring the Bushwackers Band and local artist Peter Mulheron

CASP grant funding has helped enable us to bring over Bluegrass Parkway from Western Australia