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BARNSLEY FOLK FESTIVAL - OUTDOOR FAMILY DAY

30 May 2026

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You may already be aware that as part of Civic 150, an 18-month celebration marking 150 years of Barnsley Civic, we are bringing back Barnsley Folk Festival for three days in May, with a mix of ticket concerts and free family events. Throughout the day, on Saturday 30th May, experience traditional music, dance, storytelling and traditional crafts, as part of a free family folk festival in Mandela Gardens.


WORKSHOP SCHEDULE:

10:30am – 4:00pm Willow Weaving for all ages with The Art Room.
10:30am – 4:00pm Timmy Sweetcorn Kids Club will be making morris sticks and hobby horses.
10:30am – 4:00pm Storyteller Ian Douglas will bring folk tales to life with his Magic Lantern
1:00pm – 1:45pm North West Morris Dance Workshop with the Silkstone Greens 
3:15pm – 4:00pm Longsword Dance Workshop – learn the Kirkby Malzeard Sword Dance with members of Barnsley Longsword.

DANCE SCHEDULE:
10:30am – 11:30am Silkstone Greens North West Morris will perform alongside Wath Morris & Wath Morris Minors.
2pm – 3pm Barnsley Longsword will perform alongside students from Horizon Dance.

MUSIC SCHEDULE:
11:30am – 1:00pm The Rhythm Chaps ceilidh and barn dance band will play British, Irish and American tunes and call a variety of dance.
1:30pm – 2:00pm Barnsdale Hood a local folk duo playing traditional tunes from around Britain, Ireland, and the Celtic diaspora in America.
3:00m – 3:30pm Katrina Tia Charles a firm favourite on the Barnsley singer songwriter circuit.
3:35pm – 4:00m The Stormy Sals are four women singing shanties and songs of the seas.

FOLK CRAFT MARKET
Featuring alternative folk inspired craft-makers and artists, including Sian Ellis, Isabel Edwards, Crochjay, Christ Printed This and Lucy Dewsnap.

This event is free entry. 
Mandela Gardens will have a licensed bar, so usual ID rules apply.

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