MUSIC festivals have become a staple of the summer, with one somewhere most weekends. Sometimes a weekend isn’t enough to experience everything you want to see and hear.

That’s way a stalwart on the festival scene runs to a week. Whitby Folk Week this year celebrated its 48th year. This festival of folk music, dance and song is a tradition in its own right and, year after year, many festival goers descend on the town as it fills with a riot of colourful dancers and wonderful music.

As a long-term festival goer (I went to my first Whitby in a pushchair), Whitby Folk Week, for me, is one of the most enjoyable such events – a relaxed and informal way to experience a festival.

During the course of the week, more than 600 events take place across the town, in pubs and other venues, from former churches to theatres and even a ballroom. The choice is phenomenal, from concerts and workshops, to singarounds, musicians’ sessions and dance groups performing in the streets.

Unlike other festivals, where people clamour to get one glimpse of their favourite artists, at Whitby there’s the opportunity to see most artists at least five or six times throughout the week. So a programme is essential in order to plan where and when you can catch the cream of musicians and singers, many of whom return to Whitby year after year (it’s the Unthanks festival of choice on their time off from performing).

Performers rub shoulders alongside enthusiastic floor singers at singarounds in pubs such as the Endeavour. Queues had to be turned away from some events, such as a harmony-themed concert at the Metropole, featuring top-brass folk groups such as the Wilson Family, The Young ‘Uns, Val Marsden and Graham Pirt and Grace Notes.

Meanwhile, a poignant tribute concert to songwriting legend Graeme Miles, who prolifically wrote songs about the North York Moors and Teesside, was a one-off event that drew in crowds. So, too, was The Pitmen Poets featuring Jez Lowe, Benny Graham, Billy Mitchell and Bob Fox, back on the road after his spell in London’s West End in War Horse.

Folk festivals are often considered to be synonymous with an older crowd, so this year the organisers made one of the festival’s themes aimed at younger audiences, and as such, a couple of late night events at the Pavilion went down a storm.

Whitby Folk Week is a gem of a festival which has something for everyone – be sure to keep up to date with information about next year’s festival at whitbyfolk.co.uk