DUST OFF YOUR TATTERS, TOP HATS & PAGAN WORSHIPPING FINERY, WILLIE SMITH'S PRESENTS THE HUON VALLEY MID WINTER FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Willie Smith's Cider has announced a captivating and whimsical line up of live performances, pagan rituals and fireside feasting with the third annual Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival to be held at The Apple Shed across 15 – 17 July 2016. Beckoning visitors from near and far to Tasmania's 'Apple Valley', the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival is expecting a 10,000 strong crowd supported by local producers, suppliers, volunteers and artists. After injecting an estimated $600k into the economy last year, the 2016 program promises another jam packed weekend with tributes to ancient rituals, captivating storytelling, mesmerising street theatre, psychedelic tunes and a hearty feast of local food and, of course, cider.
The celebrations will kick off on the night of Friday 15th July with Welcome @ Burning Man, where a choir procession of attendees will light the night with lanterns before ceremonially launching a lit arrow towards the 6 metre high effigy, igniting the opening of the festival. The effigy will burn against a backdrop of live music from psychedelic gypsy-carnie hop band Ungus Ungus Ungus to the fiery folk, post and prog-rockers The Crooked Fiddle Band who will entertain with their complex and quixotic sounds.
From midday on Saturday 16th July, the line up will see festival-goers dancing along to seven piece, progressive ska and reggae band from Launceston, Bad Beef and enjoying the captivating sounds of gypsy crossed folk, reggae, ska, blues and jazz band from Hobart, Guerilla Zingari.
Not to be missed on Saturday night is the largest wassail procession in the Southern Hemisphere led by the Jolley Hatters Morris dancers and friends from around Australia; a salute to the traditional 'twelfth night' festivals, where the ancient 'wassail' ritual was intended to wake up the dormant apple trees, scare away the evil spirits and ensure an abundant cider apple harvest for the coming season. Festival goers will dance into the night warmed by the glow of a 10 foot tall bonfire.
Throughout the weekend, Annie Lee (Kransky Sisters) will welcome attendees into a world of freaks, potion peddlers and laughing clowns with her exhilarating show Wolfzingers Cider Show Alley featuring the local community as her characters. Festival-goers will also be transported into the world of passionate storyteller by Jackie Kerin, who will share her tales of traditions from all over the world and invite others to take the stage to compete in the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival Slam to win The Huon Valley Storytelling Cup.
Sunday 17th July will be a day of family fun with children's storytelling, activities, costume prizes and more great live, local music. Those donning their pagan finery will be in the running to win a share of $2,500 in 'best dressed' prizes across the weekend with a small prize awarded to all children.
The three day weekend celebration is complemented by a range of local produce and beverage offerings to tantalise tastebuds including warm cheesy delights from Black Box Kitchen, apple wood smoked 55 hour beef from Tasman Quartermasters and paddock-to-plate dishes from local Gourmet Farmer, Matthew Evans with his Fat Pig Van. Hearty meals will be joined by Willie Smith's Organic Cider and selections from two of Tassie's finest whisky distilleries, Lark and Overeem.
Willie Smith's Cider has announced a captivating and whimsical line up of live performances, pagan rituals and fireside feasting with the third annual Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival to be held at The Apple Shed across 15 – 17 July 2016. Beckoning visitors from near and far to Tasmania's 'Apple Valley', the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival is expecting a 10,000 strong crowd supported by local producers, suppliers, volunteers and artists. After injecting an estimated $600k into the economy last year, the 2016 program promises another jam packed weekend with tributes to ancient rituals, captivating storytelling, mesmerising street theatre, psychedelic tunes and a hearty feast of local food and, of course, cider.
The celebrations will kick off on the night of Friday 15th July with Welcome @ Burning Man, where a choir procession of attendees will light the night with lanterns before ceremonially launching a lit arrow towards the 6 metre high effigy, igniting the opening of the festival. The effigy will burn against a backdrop of live music from psychedelic gypsy-carnie hop band Ungus Ungus Ungus to the fiery folk, post and prog-rockers The Crooked Fiddle Band who will entertain with their complex and quixotic sounds.
From midday on Saturday 16th July, the line up will see festival-goers dancing along to seven piece, progressive ska and reggae band from Launceston, Bad Beef and enjoying the captivating sounds of gypsy crossed folk, reggae, ska, blues and jazz band from Hobart, Guerilla Zingari.
Not to be missed on Saturday night is the largest wassail procession in the Southern Hemisphere led by the Jolley Hatters Morris dancers and friends from around Australia; a salute to the traditional 'twelfth night' festivals, where the ancient 'wassail' ritual was intended to wake up the dormant apple trees, scare away the evil spirits and ensure an abundant cider apple harvest for the coming season. Festival goers will dance into the night warmed by the glow of a 10 foot tall bonfire.
Throughout the weekend, Annie Lee (Kransky Sisters) will welcome attendees into a world of freaks, potion peddlers and laughing clowns with her exhilarating show Wolfzingers Cider Show Alley featuring the local community as her characters. Festival-goers will also be transported into the world of passionate storyteller by Jackie Kerin, who will share her tales of traditions from all over the world and invite others to take the stage to compete in the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival Slam to win The Huon Valley Storytelling Cup.
Sunday 17th July will be a day of family fun with children's storytelling, activities, costume prizes and more great live, local music. Those donning their pagan finery will be in the running to win a share of $2,500 in 'best dressed' prizes across the weekend with a small prize awarded to all children.
The three day weekend celebration is complemented by a range of local produce and beverage offerings to tantalise tastebuds including warm cheesy delights from Black Box Kitchen, apple wood smoked 55 hour beef from Tasman Quartermasters and paddock-to-plate dishes from local Gourmet Farmer, Matthew Evans with his Fat Pig Van. Hearty meals will be joined by Willie Smith's Organic Cider and selections from two of Tassie's finest whisky distilleries, Lark and Overeem.
Tickets On Sale Now
15.07.16 - 17.07.16
The Apple Shed, Grove
Buy TicketsThe Apple Shed, Grove
Comments