It’s that time of year again in the Valley, when the Yarra Valley Musicians Collective and the Healesville Music Festival Committee bid a warm welcome to the Healesville Music Festival 2017.
For the eighth year running, Healesville will be transformed from a hub of wine and furry animals, to a centre of local, national and international music.
From 10 to 12 November, magnificent music will emanate at pop-up street-side performances, at the town’s many cafe venues, as well as at the cultural hub of the Memorial Hall.
Canadian troubadour Scott Cook will front the ever-growing festival line-up, which this year will also feature a variety of acts from solo singer-songwriters to full-blown orchestras complete with ukuleles.
Other performers on the bill include the brass-laden big sounds of the Northern Folk, the piercingly sweet tunes of the Frencham Smith Trio, barnstorming locals The Humbuckin’ Pickups, rising star Didirri and awesome blues guitarist Lloyd Spiegel, winner of four Australian Blues awards in 2016.
But it’s the extra, left-of-centre events that have made this volunteer-run music festival stand out from other annual events. A classic, whip-crackingly good bush dance will once again turn any shy child (or adult) into a heel ‘n’ toe aficionado, and, for the first time, the Barking Spider Visual Theatre will be workshopping their unique “Scratch and Trash Orchestra”.
The town’s Healesville racecourse will again accommodate campers staying for the weekend. It’s a setting that’s proved itself perfect for impromptu acoustic sessions, and is a free shuttle bus ride away from the centre of town.
This year will see the introduction of a free Saturday market at the racecourse with an ever-growing list of stallholders.
It’s as if Healesville were built for this event.
The 2017 performance schedule, ticketing information and other essential details can all be found at healesvillemusicfestival.com.au
