Palm Creek Folk Festival Townsville (2020 Cancelled)

Palm Creek Folk Festival was due to be held from 11-14 June 2020 unfortunately due to the Corona Virus the festival has been cancelled for the first time every. Here is the official notification:

In light of the current pandemic facing the world, we have had to make the incredibly hard decision to cancel this year’s Palm Creek Folk Festival. The foreseeable future is uncertain at this point in time, and as we have such a variation in the people who attend our festival, we have decided to put the public’s health and safety first. We want to thank you for supporting our festival and hope that you continue to support us in the future. As our festival is a not-for-profit community event, we are asking for your help. For those who have already bought early bird tickets, we are prepared to validate your tickets for next year’s event at the current price you have paid. We’re asking if you could hold your tickets until next year’s event to ensure we can host it. Next year is our 30th anniversary and we are anticipating it will be our best festival yet! We are already getting busy organizing a special line up of artists. If for any reason between now and June next year, you know you are unable to attend, we will refund your ticket.

 

Palm Creek Festival is nothing if not eclectic and it’s devotees wouldn’t have it any other way.

Each year we make the 1250 km road trip north from Coolum Beach to attend the Palm Creek Folk Festival in North Queensland. We usually drive the Bruce Highway from the Sunshine Coast, free camping along the way.

Read about Free and Low Cost Camping on the Bruce Highway here.

 

Traditional Landowners

The festival takes place on the land of the Wulgurukaba and Bindal peoples and they are represented at the festival each year.

Artists 2020

• Tullara from Northern N.S.W. an all girl performance of alluring voice and guitar playing
• 19 – Twenty from East Coast Australia is a blue-billy-grass-rockin-roots band
• Ukulele Death Squad – The World’s Most Dangerous Ukulele Group
• Electrik Lemonda best described as a merry band of Funklords
• Jesse Morris & The Shakedown, our favourite troubadours from the Byron Bay Hinterland
• This Way North – a duo on drums and wailing electric guitar
• Benji and the Saltwater Sound System Raw Pacific and East Coast sounds with poignant lyrics
• Ray Smith 40 years in Australia from Cumbria is a creative force behind many bands
• Ashlea Reale and the Outlaws convey stories of Colonial History
• Tessa Devine sings lyrics of empowerment through love and loss
• Tasha Zappala folk wailings and looping harmonies ranging falsetto to growling
• Mitch King Australian born folk mastery and acoustic guitar picking
• BluGuru are multi-instrumentalists Josh Bennett & Andrew Clermont with Parvyn on vocals
• JC & the Tree – Jesse Tree and Jacinta Simons perform lyrical vocals with violin and piano
• Legend of Perhaps – Indie/Folk/Pop from Cairns N.Q.
• Late November – Indie Rock from Townsville
• 33 1/3 – Pumping the crowd up again
• Uke Nomad with original and contemporary Jazz/Folk
• Don’t Wake the Baby – Acoustic Rock and Rocky Acoustic!
• Celtic Strings – Young Townsville Talent on fiddle, flute, tin whistle, mandolin and more.
• Colie – Songwriter storyteller Nicole Cross inspired by her grandfathers love of Aussie poetry
• Dan Baker performs folk harmony and powerful melodies
• Budgie Brothers evoke the smoky camp fires of European gypsy caravans of the early 1900s
• Secret Country – Italian Folk Rock
• Astronaut Launch Party – a six piece cluster from Tropical North Queensland
• Meraki, a post rock outfit specialising in dynamics and soaring melodies
• Mark Hillman and the Firelight is a soloist with unique vocal tones and intricate melodies
• Deep Sea Creature – Tony Squires atmospheric soundtrack rock
• Poms Plus – Melodic songs and harmonies accompanied by guitar and accordian
• Fools Gold are a dynamic trio of Accoustic and bass guitar and drums
• 4 Degrees
• Batphink – Townsville band playing original songs about life
• Block of Flats – keeping music loud and proud

Where is Palm Creek?

Head 40km south of Townsville by road and take the second right after Palm Creek bridge, to Mountain View Lake Eco Park where the Best Little Festival in the North takes place.

Palm Creek Map

Townsville to Palm Creek Folk Festival.

 

 

The Venue – Mountain View Lake Eco Park

The lake has been practically dry for several years, but in early 2018 there was an extreme amount, of rain with the Ross River Dam going from 15% full to 97% full in a few weeks.

Some years Mountain View Lake is dry for the festival and in others it is full.

Palm Creek Camping.

Daughter and I camp at the Palm Creek Festival for the week-end. The first year I erected the tents myself which was a bit of a stretch without the tent boss along. As the weather was so beautiful I didn’t bother securing the tent flies, an oversight which saw me bashing tent pegs in during a midnight downpour.

I’m a fast learner though and the next year I brought Marty along for the pre-event set up.  In 2018 we did the same with a bigger and better set up than ever before. 

 

The owners of the property charge $10 per/day/tent to set up prior to the event and I totally recommend doing this to escape the first day after-work crush. 

Packing List for Palm Creek Festival

• Tent and bedding – remembering it can and does get bloody cold at nights
• Clothes – It’s all casual clothing – light for the day and winter woollies for night
• Don’t forget the Umbrella
• Towels and toiletries
• Drinking water bottle – can be refilled from the tank near the main amenities block
• Esky to keep drinks and food cold (or hit up the food stalls)
• Wet ones for dirty feet
• 2 Buckets (for storing water in) if having a (self-contained) campfire
• Firewood (some available on site but you don’t want to run out).
• Rubbish Bags for campsite

 

Who Runs the Festival?

Volunteers from the Townsville Folk & Acoustic Music Club Inc. organise the event. This non-profit festival is in it’s 29th year.

Dragon Parking area to left of stage.

Palm Creek Festival Dates for 2020

11th to 14th June, 2020.

What’s On at Palm Creek Folk Festival

The Sunday Morning Poet’s Breakfast is an institution not to be missed.

Luckily there is a coffee vendor situated right near the Mountain Stage, to rid the mind of cobwebs. 

 

 

Dress Up at Palm Creek

The Palm Creek Folk Festival has a different theme each year.

In 2018 it was Rainbows.

In 2019 it was Crazy Hats.

In 2020 it is Under the Sea.

 

Food/Drinks

There are some great food vendors on site including Govindas Pure Vegetarian (Hare Krishnas) offering Vegetarian and Vegan friendly food.

There are other tasty healthy options available including Gluten Free. The full list of stalls is displayed on the Palm Creek Facebook Page when finalised.

Alcohol is not sold at the venue but you can BYO. It’s a good idea to arrive with a stock of ice, although it can be purchased on site from Thursday evening.

We try to re-heat one home cooked meal and bring our own snacks, but purchase Espressos and the rest of our meals on-site. Everyone joins together to make it a great week-end.

Camp fires are allowed but must be contained in a b.y.o brazier. BYO wood although there is some on sale at the site.

Palm Creek Folk Festival Tickets and Information.

Early-bird tickets can be purchased on-line in two separate releases and when online sales close a couple of nights before the event, general tickets are still available at the gate. Please check in early June to confirm the on line cut-off date.

Palm Creek Folk Festival is a family friendly event but no pets are allowed.

Did you know that if you can’t afford to pay for this wonderful week-end you can Volunteer and get in for free? Read more about that and purchase Palm Creek Folk Festival Tickets here.

 

Palm Creek Folk Festival 2021

2021 will be the best festival ever. It will be the 30th Anniversary and a big line up is planned. See you there.

 

Finding Accommodation Deals Townsville

Although we are mad week-end campers, you might prefer to stay in Townsville and commute to the festival. If it pours with rain over the week-end you will be laughing all the way! When we stay in hotels we always using Booking and we’ve never been disappointed. I’ve added a handy deals finder for you. You’re welcome.

Booking.com

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