National Folk Festival: what’s on offer for kids and foodies

Posted on 15 April, 2019

Looking for something for the whole family this Easter?

The National Folk Festival, held at Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC), has you covered. The best and brightest in folk from around the globe will converge on the nation’s capital this week—18-22 April—with world-class performers (ACT is a feature-state at this year’s National) across 20 venues, themed bars, food and market stalls, roving performers and even a dedicated kids program.

Catering to the Festival’s growing family demographic, KidzFest is a magical place where all ages come together to learn, create and play. A place for the whole family but especially for younger folk, entertainment and activities are on offer between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm throughout the Festival (general programming goes into the early hours of the morning).

The devoted program boasts artists from all over the country with acts including storytelling globetrotters Rhubarb, puppetry and live drumming from Amazing Drumming Monkeys, action-packed circus adventures from Big Tops and Tiny Tots Circus Show, and magic, ventriloquism, music and madness with Mr Beep and Ellie. There will also be creative, hands-on workshops where children can create colourful lanterns to display during the celebrated Sunday Parade, and family dances to join in on Friday and Saturday.

The National Folk Festival’s vibrant streets are an ever-changing landscape full of surprises. Buskers, roving street performers, musicians and circus antics abound with antics around every corner. Circus shows can be viewed from the Majestic big top including a Not for Kids Kid’s Show for those of age!

Whilst the live-entertainment aspect of the National is what it’s best known for, food and drink stalls also play a large role in the transformation of turning the Festival into a world of its own.

The Festival menu caters to all dietary needs with a huge variety of fresh and tasty food from around the world. Stalls are this year offering more kid-friendly meals adding child-size plates of pasta, kids’ dumplings and organic pizza by the slice while mum and dad can instead treat themselves to a pulled pork taco, a haloumi burger or perhaps a Cuban chorizo platter.

“There are a lot of great options for everyone, the hardest thing is having to choose,” says the National Folk Festival’s Stalls and Community Arts Manager, Sam Barrett. “Some Festival-favourite stalls that are back this year include Yianno’s Catering, That’s Cool Catering, Coffee Pete, The Stockcamp for their stews and dampers (so good!), Jerry’s Vegiburgers, Govindas, Joe’s Thai Food, the Little Paris, Traditional Baked Potatoes, Passion for Juice and Nutorious.”

Themed bars are aplenty throughout the Festival grounds as are options for Guatemalan coffee, rich hot chocolate spiced with chilli or cardamom pods, or a healthy treat with frozen fruit slushies for the kids.

The whole family can enjoy ubiquitous crowd pleasers like steaming baked potatoes piled with sour cream, grated cheese and chilli con carne, a bacon and egg roll in the early morning or warm Dutch poffertjes covered in homemade chocolate sauce and ice-cream as the temperature drops.

Water stations can be found throughout the Festival grounds, and the famous National Folk Festival pottery mugs are once again available to purchase and use at any of the Festival bars.

“I’m also really excited to try some great new stalls coming to the National for the first time this year, like Hierba Santa, the Gut Shoppee, Melbourne Paella Company, Mama’s Pizza, and What the Pho,” said Sam.

Drawing a huge 50,000 people through its gates over the Easter long weekend each year, the National Folk Festival’s program is designed to inspire, enliven and entertain with over 750 individual concerts showcasing musical styles and genres as diverse as acoustic, bluegrass, roots, blues, Celtic, country, world and gypsy.

“The 2019 lineup is so diverse. Whether you’re a die-hard folkie or trying it out for the first time, you will love getting your folk on at the National this year,” said National Folk Festival Director, Pam Merrigan.

Multiple ticketing options for the whole family can be found here. With something truly for everyone at the National Folk Festival, it is easy to see why it is the longest running event of its kind and Australia’s home and heart of folk.

the essentials

What: National Folk Festival
When: Thursday 18 April – Monday 22 April
Where: Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC)
Cost: multiple ticketing options here
Web: folkfestival.org.au

HerCanberra is a proud sponsor of the National Folk Festival 2019