Well for all of the jealous maligning coming from New South Wales I'll be at Woodford again this year. Small it isn't, but it still has lots of intimate venues and the atmosphere is always friendly - and amazingly well behaved. I will miss not seeing the late Gordon McIntyre there this time around. Here are a few words about Woodford.

       Woodford Folk Festival presents a very special Festival programme focusing on the glorious cultural richness that has shaped our community. Come share in the myriad expressions of the folk that call this country home...

     Over 2,000 Australian artists, 20 stages, more than 400 events: 140 arts & crafts stalls, 40 food stalls,an extensive array of visual arts, dance workshops,a fully programmed Children's Festival, unique New Millennium events,a fantastic new Fire Event, The Murri Festival,The Woodford Circus,The People's Forest Exhibition, Spoken Word,a dedicated Theatre venue,The Big Gig, Forums, Film Fest, Chalk Board venues,The Festival of Writing,The Emerging Artists Programme, street theatre and circus workshops,a Greenhouse and Tree Planting Project, on-site Art Works,a new Youth Venue,a Folklines Programme... and more... On-site camping, Festival sited in a beautiful valley, more facilities than ever before.

Only 50 minutes north of Brisbane, public transport to site, professional child care available, licensed bars. Full colour 73 page programme.

For tickets and information phone: 07 54961 066
Or visit our website at: woodfordfolkfestival.cth.com.au

Headliners:
The Whitlams, Sirocco, Troy Cassar-Daly, Skunkhour, Tiddas, The Bluehouse, Toothfaeries, Taxi, Sensitive New Age Cowpersons, Tony O'Connor, Dya Singh, Jonathon Atherton, Mic Conway's National Junk Band, Tulipan, The Waifs, The Backsliders, The Bushwackers, Chain, Jeff Lang, Margret RoadKnight, Kavisha Mazzella, Spaghetti Circus, Greg Sheehan & the Hands of She, Iota, Afro Dizzi Act, The Ploughboys and many, many more...

Featuring this year from overseas:
Kristina Olsen (USA), Seamus Begley & Jim Murray (Ireland), Tony McManus (Scotland), Gyuto Monks of Tibet, Thami Mlotshawa (South Africa), Antiche Tradizioni Popolarii (Italy), Andy Irvine (Ireland), Nancy Kerr & James Fagan (UK), Panjea (Zimbawe)

     Join the Woodford 2000 Choir, make Fire Event Parade lanterns, become part of the 10,000 Lights Project... Create a treasure, become a performer, learn an instrument, belly dance, help achieve a clean green future. Make a whip, shape a short story, stamp and clap, sing a song or tell a yarn, help us plant a forest, dance and rhythmatise, watch birds, go to a CD launch...

New Year's Eve Events
Millennium Eve Rhythm Festival – this will be the biggest array of drumming acts ever assembled in Australia. Greg Sheehan, brilliant percussionist and master of blending the rhythms of different cultures will be the Artistic Director of the event. Master drummers from around the world, musicians, dancers and audience plus the Innersense Fire Weavers will lead a massive jam into the New Year and then live techno group The Bird, backed by a wall of percussion will pump out dance grooves into the Year 2000.

Chanting in the Millennium - Devotional Music Concert – featuring the Gyuto Monks of Tibet. An opportunity to move quietly into a new era in an atmosphere which encourages universal optimism, peace and harmony.

Birth of the 3rd Millennium: Sunrise Ceremony with the Gyuto Monks. Experience the moment of the rising sun on this auspicious occasion – overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains with Sacred Chant, the intense and meditative mood of early morning ragas on sitar and the soaring and ecstatic singing of North Indian and Sikh traditions.

Earth Dance – the Australian Premiere – a stunning one hour dance and theatre production base on traditional stories. Presented by Richard Whalley, one of Australia's leading Aboriginal performers and writers and the Middar Dancers, this show will be one of the special highlights of the Festival. Four performances at the Festival will culminate in its finale in the Amphitheatre on New Years Eve.

Gypsy Extravaganza - hosted by Monsieur Camembert – a flashy night of ole!, dancing, stirring music and outrageous comedy for those with gypsy blood coursing through their new dawn veins!

Mega Bush Dance – at the Pavilion. Grab your partners and hold them tight, this is the way to start the Millennium... alright! Take part in the dance workshops during the Festival and whirl your way in... great fun for the whole family.

Celtic Dance Band Concert – Big Top. Traditional or contemporary, Celtic music you can't help dancing... see in the New Year with the Queensland Highlanders Pipe Band and then jig, reel and rage into 2000.

Rock'n'Roll out the Barrel – with Bernard Carney. A Festival institution! Join the folkies, bring all your friends and sing and laugh your way out of the old... and into our special New Year meeting place.