CresFest on opening night is the place to be!

CRESFEST 2023 is only six weeks away and punters who know a bargain are busily purchasing early bird tickets for what is going to be an extraordinary folk and roots music festival.

Set for Creswick from Friday, 31 March and going through to Sunday 2 April, there’s so much to do, see and experience at CresFest 2023.

Opening on Friday night at five venues around Creswick, including the Town Hall, Leaver’s, Creswick Neighbourhood Centre, the Creswick Primary School and the American Hotel.

A weekend ticket gives ticket holders access to all performances, though there is no reserved seating.

However, each musician will be performing at least three times over the weekend so there will be plenty of opportunity to see each performer as well as rising stars on their way up in the music world.

A Dja Dja Wurrung Welcome to Country at the Town Hall is followed by the Creswick Kids Chorus, joining Kutcha Edwards for a very special national anthem written by Edwards with the late Judith Durham.

Edwards and his band will be followed by Natalie and Brittany Haas from the USA, and While & Matthews from the UK.

At the Neighbourhood Centre well-known Australian performers Greg Champion, Ami Williamson and the Maggie Carty Band will be offering something very different.

Other venues will host First Nations singer Pirritu, Fred Smith and Bush Gothic, Kavisha Mazzella, Charm of Finches, and Tenzin Choegyal.

Yet Friday night is just the beginning of an incredible weekend.

By Saturday there will be 12 stages with the program expanding to include more concerts, workshops, films, and dances.

Check out cresfest.com.au for tickets and how to get involved. The Bendigo Times and McIvor Times sister publication, the Ballarat Times is a proud sponsor of CresFest 2023.

– BY FIONA WATSON