Music festival to be held virtually - here's how you can take part

A community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemic.
By Olivia Hale
Published 17th Jul 2020, 11:06 BST
Updated 17th Jul 2020, 11:11 BST

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A community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemicA community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemic
A community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemic

Due to lockdown rules, Friarwood Music Festival - a day long live music and crafts festival in Pontefract’s Valley Gardens - could not take place this year.

An active member of the community run organisations, Rachel Riley, came up with the idea in hopes to showcase local talent virtually and get the community dancing, despite the festival being unable to take place.

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Rachel is asking local musicians to send in their best songs and music videos to be posted on the Friarwood Festival Facebook page leading up to the festival which should have taken place on Saturday, August 22.

A community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemicA community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemic
A community organisation is virtually supporting local musicians in absence of the Pontefract music festival that was cancelled this year due to the covid pandemic

Rachel said: “We’re just wanting to support local musicians and give our followers some entertainment and links to great musicians on our doorstep.

“Every weekend we thought it would be nice to release a few of the clips that people have sent into our Facebook or email.

“We are asking for local musicians to send us links and pre recordings, maybe things they have done in lockdown, and we will choose our favourites to post on a weekend.

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“And hopefully on the day we will be able to do a virtual festival.”

Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens, festival organisersFriends of Friarwood Valley Gardens, festival organisers
Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens, festival organisers

The event is hosted annually by Friends of Friarwood Valley Gardens.

In the festival's previous years, there were crafts, live music, food, drink, face painting and entertainment which helped to attract more than 1,000 visitors.

Rachel said: “As well as giving festival goers entertainment, I also think it will help our local musicians who haven’t been able to perform with all the pubs and venues being shut in lockdown.

“We’re gutted that it won’t be happening this year.

In the festival's previous years, there were crafts, live music, food, drink, face painting and entertainment which helped to attract more than 1,000 visitorsIn the festival's previous years, there were crafts, live music, food, drink, face painting and entertainment which helped to attract more than 1,000 visitors
In the festival's previous years, there were crafts, live music, food, drink, face painting and entertainment which helped to attract more than 1,000 visitors
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“It’s also a shame some of the other amazing events around the town have had to be cancelled this year, including the Liquorice festival, Yorkshire Day and VE day.

“We still encourage people to visit the valley gardens with their family and friends, although we won’t be holding the festival there, we will have something pre prepared virtually as a nod to the festival.

“We’ll make sure we have a lot of plans in place for next year and pull out all the stops.”

To find out more see the Friarwood Festival Facebook page

Related topics:PontefractFacebook