THOUSANDS of people are expected to descend on the East Coast from August 17 to 23 for Whitby Folk Week.

As one of the biggest folk festivals in the country, the event should suit both the dedicated “folkie” and those visiting the seaside for the day.

Now in its 48th year, the annual festival is a celebration of traditional music, dance, song and story-telling, with 600 events in more than 30 venues, ranging from concerts, workshops, singarounds and dancing to musicians’ sessions, street entertainment, ceilidhs and children’s events.

Most workshops are open to all ages and abilities and those aimed at beginners include sessions in Irish, clog or sword dancing, or learning an instrument such as the whistle or fiddle. Other sessions are for those with more advanced skills and abilities.

There are also cumulative workshops, which are essentially short courses, and the organisers advise selecting these as early in the week as possible.

Children of all ages are catered for with daytime events throughout the week, including songs and games, long-sword dancing, circus skills, a concertina workshop, performance workshops, and more besides.

Concerts take place during the day and evening throughout the week in venues across the town.

This means visitors can see their favourite performers several times, or can mix and match by seeing different singers, groups and musicians over the course of the festival. Also, many dance displays brighten up the town throughout the week.

Artists booked, both regulars and new faces, include Archie Fisher, Alistair Anderson, Jim Causley, Martin Pearson, The Keelers, Mike Tickell, Sandra Kerr, Taffy Thomas and The Wilson Family, who have just collaborated with Sting on his new album, The Ship, out on September 23.

Meanwhile, local performers include The Ironopolis Singers, Goathland Plough Stots, Cobblers Monday, John Greaves and Doc Rowe. Special events include a Saturday appearance by The Pitmen Poets, alias Bob Fox, Jez Lowe, Benny Graham and Billy Mitchell, and a tribute concert celebrating the songs of Graham Miles on the Tuesday.

The BBC Radio 2 Young Tradition award winners, Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar, will be appearing too.

Barry Evans, one of the festival organisers, says: “This year we’ll be having a number of events under the Evolving Tradition banner, which are aimed at the younger performers coming through on to the scene. There’ll be two extra late-night events on the Monday and Wednesday until 2am aimed at the younger festival goer: Monday with a disco ceilidh, including haze and flashing lights, and Wednesday with Sheelanagig, with the largest mosh pit probably seen in the UK.”

• A season ticket for the week costs £154, seniors £120, students £77, and day tickets are available too. To find out more details and to book tickets, visit whitbyfolk.co.uk