Folk Festival opens at the Old Nick in Gainsborough this week

The event will feature some of the UK folk scenes best talents as well as rising stars from the local area.

The event gets underway on Thursday, March 3 with a performance from the Rattle-Jag morris dancing team with their show Plough Play.

The Rattle Jag group take recently collected traditional material from Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire and combine it with modern ideas on dance to create rattlejag.

They perform broom dances, sword dances and bacca pipe dances as well as playing local and rarely-heard songs.

Their evening at the Old Nick starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £5.

The festival continues on Friday, March 4 with the return to Gainsborough of UK folk stars Roisin Ban.

From the heart of Yorkshire with a beating Celtic heart, Roisin Ban were a big hit at the Old Nick last year and more of the same can be expected this time.

The band was gathered together in the early months of 2013 principally by leader, vocalist, fiddle maestro and ex-firefighter Chris Dyson.

The rest of the band comprises Tom Leedale, Paddy Hefferon and Steve Lacey on a variety of instruments.

They had cast around for a name which pointed at both their Yorkshire roots but which also gave a nod to Irish culture.

They stumbled upon Roisin Bán as the Irish for White Rose and also the regional symbol of the county.

After a few tentative rehearsals they gelled as friends and they found their feet musically and are going from strength to strength.

Their first year saw them play the Fylde and Otley Festivals, Whitby Folk Week and have a monthly residency at the famous Leeds Irish Centre.

In 2014, they played at the Warwick Festival, The Hardraw Gathering and the Barnsley Lamproom Theatre.

The starting point, and shared love of the band, is music from the Irish tradition,

But if they stumble upon a number which suits them, they’re happy to tackle other styles.

The craic’ is an important concept for the band and no toe is let untapped in a Roisin Bán show.

Their latest visit to Gainsborough starts at 7.30pm and tickets are £10.

On Saturday, March 5, the live music comes from Ben and the Bandidos.

They are a three piece acoustic band, playing anything from the blues to indie and everything in-between.

They are at the Old Nick from 7.30pm and tickets are £5.

Finally, the festival closes on Sunday, March 6 by throwing the stage open to the people, something folk music is all about.

Lincoln Folk is an open event for all singers, musicians, poets and more who are welcome to come along and perform.

For more details about how to get involved, call 01427 838726 or email [email protected].

Refreshments will be available at the event which runs from 2pm to 5pm.

All events at the festival will be held at the Old Nick Theatre.

Tickets and further details for all events are available on 01427 239387 or [email protected]

A special offer is also in place where anyone booking all events can save £2 and get a tour of the Old Nick