The always highly anticipated Black Gully Festival is set to kick off on Saturday, November 11th, 2023, in the scenic Black Gully Reserve (behind NERAM on the south side of the creek). This free, family-friendly event celebrates the vibrant spirit of Armidale as the weather warms up, offering a day filled with music, art, environmental and community engagement. The festival promises an entertaining experience for attendees of all ages.
The heart of the festival lies in its live music performances, taking place from 10am to 8pm across three stages. Showcasing the exceptional talent within the region, local bands, soloists, and small groups will captivate audiences with a diverse range of musical styles presented by The Musicians of Armidale.
FESTIVAL PROGRAM
- 10.00am – 4.00pm – Makers, Community and Environment Markets
- 11.00pm – Remembrance Day Commemoration, Welcome to Country, and Official Opening
- 10.00am – 3.00pm – NERAM Family Art Making (@ the tennis wall)
- 10.00am – 8.00pm – Giant Koalas – near the Main Stage
- 7.30pm – 9.30pm – Astronomy night with the Stars @NERAM cafe
MUSIC PROGRAM
Main Stages
- 10.00am – MC
- 10.15am – Archie Todd
- 11.00am – Opening Ceremony
- 11.30am – Tandav School of Dance
- 11.45am – Firebirds
- 12.15pm – Chilli Jam
- 1.00pm – Armidale Electric Orchestra
- 1.45pm – MC & The Squares
- 2.30pm – Strung
- 3.15pm – Borderline
- 4.00pm – Four Book Trilogy
- 4.45pm – Vinnie & The Cuban Missiles
- 5.45pm – Cat Trousers
- 6.45 – The Foundlings
Acoustic Stage (NERAM Cafe Courtyard)
- 10.00am – Maxine & Ben
- 10.40am – Judith Betts
- 11.20am – The Parsons & The Peas
- 12.00pm – Ian Russell
- 12.40pm – Pete Stanly
- 1.20pm – Josh McFarlane
- 2.00pm – Bruces Country
- 2.40pm – Altones
- 3.20pm – Kath Kelly & Des Ahoy
SLOW LIVING WORKSHOP PROGRAM
- Composting Workshop
- 3 x 3o min sessions @ 10.30am, 1.00 and 2.30pm
- Clothes Swap
- Clothes drop – 10.00 to 11.00am – Clothes swap – 12.00 to 2.00pm
- Seed Ball Workshop –
- 3 x 3o min sessions @ 11.00am, 1.00 and 3.00pm
- Fermentation Rescue Workshop
- 2 x 3o min sessions @ 12.30pm and 2:00pm
- Moving Mindfully in the Garden
- 3 x 3o min sessions @ 11.00am, 1.30 and 3.00pm
- Fix It with Bar Finch @2.30pm
SUSTAINABLE LIVING ARMIDALE & FRIENDS WORKSHOP PROGRAM
- 10.00 – 4.00 –The Community Weathering Station (CoWS) with Jen Hamilton
- 10.00 – 4.00 – Ephemeral Art with Sue Elliot & Armidale National Parks
- 10.00 –4.00 – Artwall with ZONTA and NOW to Climate Action (@the tennis wall)
- 10.15 – 10.45 – Morning meditation – being present with near and far (@CoWS)
- 10.30 – 11.00 – Worm Farming with Teresa (@Climate Action tent)
- 11.00 – 11.45 – Cozy Story time (@Climate Action tent)
- 12.00 – 1.00 – Slow and fast eco-zines – simple stories and make little books (@CoWS)
- 1.00 – 1.30 – Weathering with and without – group game about gifts and degrowth (@CoWS)
- 1.30 – 2.45 – Lyrebird Haiku and Styx River imaginings (@Climate Action tent)
- 1.30 – 3.30 – Felted Soap Making Workshop (@Climate Action tent)
Complementing the music program is a fantastic range of activities, workshops, and a makers market that will showcase the creations of local artisans. Food stalls will be available throughout the day and night, ensuring attendees are well-fed and there will be art making activities for kids.
The festival’s commitment to the environment continues with displays from organisations such as Southern New England Landcare, and Sustainable Living Armidale and back by popular demand are the slow living workshops covering topics such as permaculture, composting, fermentation and the Fix It tent.
This year, festival partners Armidale Tree Group and New England Regional Art Museum are celebrating their 40th anniversaries. Pop over to NERAM to explore their current exhibitions including Inspirations and Iterations features 40 works selected from NERAM’s collections, along with 40 original contemporary responses by invited artists. In its 40 years of operation the Armidale Tree Group has grown and planted millions of native trees and shrubs to create and sustain biodiversity in our local environment, this will be marked at the festival with a campaign to raise funds for a new bridge in Black Gully to complete the Mike O’Keeffe Woodland and for continuing tree planting projects.
As a community-driven event, the Black Gully Festival is known for its surprises and unexpected activities. Look out this year for the Giant 5m high Koala and her baby who will be on site. Festival goers are encouraged to bring a folding chair, a water bottle, a coffee cup, and considering the possibility of hot weather good sun protection.
Thanks to the support of Arts North West, Armidale Regional Council, and local sponsors, the Black Gully Festival remains free and accessible to all ages. The festival’s success is also indebted to the contributions of numerous volunteers and equipment loans from the community.
For more information look for additional posts on the SLA website, visit Black Gully Festival on Facebook and Instagram.
