St Albans Folk Festival

The St Albans Folk Festival is a three-day event held over a weekend close to Anzac Day in April every year.

Here, you’ll hear all types of Traditional and contemporary Folk Music, Australian Bush Music, Music Sessions, Workshops, Dances, Poetry, and Children’s Activities.

The festival runs a market of food, produce and other stalls. Patrons travel for the day or camp on the banks of the McDonald River 20 kms from Wisemans Ferry in the beautiful Hawkesbury River area, North of Sydney and West of Gosford.

You can attend for just a day or stay and make it a camping trip for the three-day event. You can camp on the banks of the nearby Macdonald River. Please note that camping may incur a small fee, which is not included in the price of your festival ticket. Camping facilities are also very basic but close to all the festival’s activities.

If you only want to attend for a day, check the festival program to avoid missing any performances you want to see. While in St Albans, have a beer at the Settlers Arms in St Albans village – one of Australia’s oldest pubs.

Last year, they moved the main Festival Site to the Tennis Court Block, which worked very well. It is closer to the other venues and the main campsite and has plenty of space. The RFS Fire Station is the Blackboard Venue. You can get your camping tickets for Paid Camping online again this year as well (camping is only available here with the purchase of a Festival Ticket).

We have minimal access to Powered Camping Sites for people with Medical Needs only. If you would like one, don’t hesitate to contact the festival organisers.

Be aware that there is little mobile phone coverage in St Albans. This is where you can get away from it all and recharge your batteries. That’s part of the area’s charm, making it an ideal setting for a folk festival!

Camping

For those who wish to stay in the festival locale, camping is available in various locations of the village, with easy access to all of the festival activities. Camping may incur a small fee that is not included as part of the festival ticket.

Festival Camping is available on the 2 “Thompson” Blocks for $35 per person (18 and over) plus a small booking fee. Camping tickets are only available with the purchase of any of the Festival Tickets and appear as an “Add On” once you have selected your ticket and go to the next page.

Camping facilities are very basic. Power is only available for medical conditions and must be booked through the festival director.

There are several Camping areas around the town. See the Festival Map below for locations.

All are designated campsites overseen by the festival organisation and subject to festival rules. The Council park opposite the pub often fills before the festival begins and can get a bit rowdy throughout the weekend. The council has quarantined the zone near the playground, and camping is not permitted. The council will patrol this during the festival and may issue substantial fines for any breaches. Fires are not allowed.

PLEASE DON’T camp in driveways or on the properties of the locals. PLEASE NOTE there is NO CAMPING around the Fire Station.

Festival Campsites are designated as:

• ‘Quiet Camping’
• ‘Session Camping’ (for those who want to stay up into the wee small hours)
• ‘Curfew Camping’ (where the noise/sessions must end at midnight)

See the festival office and festival map for locations before setting up camp.

There will be portaloos and council toilets. Campers are advised to bring their own drinking water or boil it in reserve tanks. Showers will be available to festival ticket holders at a small cost.

Please leave your dogs at home! You cannot bring your dog/s to ANY festival locations, including campsites. Anyone with dogs may be asked to leave the festival and campsites without a refund. Official Guide Dogs and officially registered companion animals (certification required) are exempt from this rule.

Sorry, but there are to be No Open Fires or campfires on the grounds of the Thompson Blocks and Council. The owners have made it a condition of usage.

Open fires are not permitted in any of the Campgrounds. The campgrounds will be monitored, and anyone with an open fire may be asked to leave the festival without a refund.

What You Need to Bring

• Food
• Water needs (including drinking, cooking, washing water)
• ice
• all camping & cooking equipment
• fuel & gas supplies
• a warm coat
• cash (there is no ATM; only the pub offers Eftpos, though EFTPOS sales can be made at the stalls and Ticket office)

There are no grocery shops. However, the fabulous historic pub, the Settlers Arms and The Pickled Wombat Cafe are both open for limited hours during the festival week/end period.

You should bring enough supplies to last your entire stay unless you want to drive for at least 1⁄2 an hour to Wiseman’s Ferry.

Apart from what is available from the many stall holders invited, many of which are food and drink vendors, you will need to bring everything with you. Food and drink will be available at the Pickled Wombat and the Settlers Arms.

Ice will be available from the RFS/Fire Station at various times over the weekend.

NB: Stalls are only open during the actual festival week/end period. The Pickled Wombat and Settlers Arms are also open with food and drinks at other times.

No Dogs

Please leave your dogs at home! You will not be able to bring your dog/s into ANY festival locations, including campsites.

They have had to make this decision for Public liability Insurance conditions and the enjoyment and comfort of all festival patrons. This includes music venues, market stalls, or any festival camping areas.

Anyone with dogs may be asked to leave the festival and campsites without a refund. Official Guide Dogs and officially registered companion animals (certification required) are exempt from this rule.

No Open Fires / Campfires

Open fires are not permitted in any of the Campgrounds. The campgrounds will be monitored, and anyone with an open fire may be asked to leave the festival without a refund. This includes all Council property.

Please note that the festival will seek advice from the Fire Brigade regarding fires during the festival and act accordingly.

Alcohol & Drugs

The Festival is Family-Friendly and Alcohol-free. Alcohol is not permitted in Festival venues or at campgrounds. (Other than the Settlers Arms and The Pickled Wombat, which are licensed venues, Alcohol purchased here is permissible while at these venues—these venues are not controlled by the festival.)

If you have consumed alcohol and have an accident or cause an accident, you are not covered by the festival’s Public Liability Insurance. Any Intoxicated persons will be asked to leave the Festival without a refund. Security and Local Police will be present throughout the Festival.

Please do not bring any Illegal substances to the Festival. Illicit Drugs are not permitted.

Getting Here

St Albans is a small, historic village on the Macdonald River about 94 kilometres northwest of the Sydney CBD. You can get there via the M2 or Old Northern Rd by road, but you need to catch Wisemans Ferry.

How to get there from Sydney
Travelling from Sydney to Wisemans’ Ferry, you cross the Hawkesbury River on the Webb Creek Ferry and meander through the McDonald Valley to historic St Albans on the McDonald River.

The Webb’s Creek Ferry Road is now sealed to St Albans.

There is an alternative route via the Wisemans’ Ferry. It is largely unsealed but may be more suitable for long vehicles because of the sharp turn and decreased width of the St Albans Bridge.

How to get there for those travelling from the Central Coast or North of there
On the Freeway, travelling south, take the turnoff for Central Mangrove and Somersby (somewhere between Gosford and Peat’s Ridge). Follow signs for Central Mangrove, Mangrove Mountain, Spencer, and then St Albans—no need to take any ferries.