Wednesday at Woodford ... Again

I spent the day up at the Woodford Folkfest last Wednesday and while I didn't find the musical acts on the programe as exciting as previous years I've visited the festival, I still had a good time and ran across some very interesting talks and sideshows.
Wednesday at Woodford

The entrance to the Woodford Folkfest

I have to say though that to me the real attraction of the Folkfest was all of the spectacular art scattered throughout the grounds.

As soon as I walked in through the amazing entrance to the festival I knew that I was in for a treat.

And just after walking into the grounds I came across a pineapple and I just love the symbology of the pineapple.
The Upside-Down Pineapple

April 8 Syncs
The thing that appeals to me about the Folkfest is the spiritual aspect of it all, and as much as I love the Byron Bay Bluesfest, it's this spiritual aspect that makes Woodford magical for me, not that the  
Byron Bay Bluesfest doesn't weave its own special magic though, but you feel like that you have stepped into some special little spiritual kingdom as soon as you walk into the Folkfest.

I even purchased a metal singing bowl from the tent pictured above where a Tibetan monk was making a sand mandala.

There is something quite mystical in the sound of vibrating metal to me.

And on the subject of the mystical, check out this structure below made from bamboo.

Looking up out of the bamboo structure

Does that remind you of anything? 

Hieronymus Bosch

Tiptoe through the tulips?

I thought that it was quite a coincidence (synchronicity?) that I stumbled across Liz Stringer singing a song about butterflies and two street performers dressed as butterflies started doing a dance outside Liz's tent.

Liz Stringer singing her
Butterfly song at Woodford

A tent inside Bill's Bar

After catching a few songs from Liz I headed off to Bill's Bar for the "Book Club Sandwich", which was a talk about a highlighted book that the panel was supposed to have read, in this case it was the book, Mullumbimby, by Melissa Lucashenko.

Catherine Deveny, Melissa Lucashenko,
Michelle Law and Chris Endrey 

Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko (Interview with Caroline Baum) 
Now, the funny thing here was that I had penciled in this talk on the programe, but there was no mention of Melissa Lucashenko being involved in this talk.
There was another author (Krissy Kneen) instead of Melissa printed on the programe, so it was a pleasant surprise for me to see Melissa there, as I had already read her book Mullumbimby.
BUDDA-BAH ... or Buddha Bear?

The only author on the programe that I was familiar with was Michelle Law, as I had bought a copy of the book she had co-authored with her brother Ben, Sh*t Asian Mothers Say, at the Byron Bay Writers Festival a few years back and ran into her there and asked her to sign my copy.

I have been meaning to do a post about Michelle and her work for the last year, or so.
It might be time to finally bring it to the top of my "To Do Posts" and finish it then.
No offense intended here to Krissy Kneen, but I'm glad she cancelled for whatever reason leaving for Melissa Lucashenko to take her place, as it gave me some deeper insights into the writing of Mullumbimby.

The Labyrinth Walk

Blue Man Group?

Melissa Lucashenko, Rhoda Roberts,
 and Richard Frankland

 I also went to hear Melissa Lucashenko take part in a talk called "Ancient Cultures, New Conversations", with Rhoda Roberts and Richard Frankland.

Great talk and probably deserves a post of its own later.

Another good talk I stumbled across was, "The Lucky Country, Re-inventing Australia", a talk by Professor Ian Lowe.

"The Lucky Country, Re-inventing Australia",
 a talk at Woodford

After that it was time for a drink.

Mm ... coconut water

Then back to see how the sand mandala was coming along.

Then while crossing a bridge I looked down to see this strange sight.

A guy in a frog suit.

Well, what you see ... or nearly don't see at the Woodford Folkfest.

About the only full musical act I saw at Woodford were Hat Fitz and Cara, one of my old favourites, as you would know if you have been following this blog for a while.

Hat Fitz and Cara performing at Woodford

Well, that was the highlights of my day at Woodford on Wednesday.
I would have liked to spent another day, or two up there this year, but such is life.

I wasn't even going to go at all until I had seen the Woodford Folkfest poster in a few magazine ads and noticed the flying fish with a key in its mouth and took it as a sign that maybe I should go this year, even if only once.

And I'm glad now that I did.
Lifeboats, Flying Fish and the Sea of the Subconscious

Until next year hopefully.