A popular Hexham festival is set to attract hundreds of visitors when it returns to the town for its third edition later this month.
The Hexham Bluegrass Festival is back from July 26 until July 28 and once again the town will be buzzing with visitors.
Following the first ever festival in 2022, and a hugely successful second edition in 2023 which attracted around 800 visitors, the free event is now returning for its third year.
The festival will start on the Friday evening in venues in the town, and continue throughout Saturday and Sunday, in the park and pubs. There will be two stages of music, Appalachian Cloggers, workshops, stalls and a hoe-down.
Cllr Suzanne Fairless-Aitken said: "It's absolutely incredible how many people it brings into our town - last year many businesses noted record profits that weekend."
In addition to fantastic music, in beautiful surroundings, this year the famous Hexham Farmers’ Market will be in the market place on Saturday July 27 from 9.00 until 2.00. This market sells food and goods that are produced by local farmers and is well worth a visit.
So, why is The Bluegrass Festival held in Hexham? Perhaps, surprisingly, there is a thriving Bluegrass community in Hexham, there are no other Bluegrass festivals in the region and there is a custom made performance area in the Sele. It is the Bluegrass committee’s ambition to make Hexham the Bluegrass destination in the North East.
Hexham Town Council continues to support this venture, which came out of the Bandstand sessions.
The lead Councillor Penny Grennan - who is herself a musician, said: “The important thing about the bandstand sessions, and the Bluegrass Festival, is that they are both free events in a public space. Anyone can come, no matter what their circumstances. We programme top musicians, hence the crowd funder, which can be found at https://www.spacehive.com/hexham-bluegrass-festival-2024, We need your help to reach our target. Please support us if you can and we hope to see you there."
For up to date programming and timings go to the Bluegrass in Hexham website.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here