Preparations are in place for York’s annual folk and acoustic music jamboree, the City of York Folk Weekend.

The free festival is in its ninth year and for the first time is expanding to take in evening events next Friday, as well as running all day next Saturday and Sunday.

Once again, the location is the 15th century Black Swan Inn on Peasholme Green, where there will be a marquee concert stage with full PA in the car park, plus three rooms for music-making indoors. Around 60 artists are taking part and all but a handful come from the York area.

“Our local folk, roots and acoustic music scene is a flourishing one these days and the City of York Folk Weekend is very much intended as a celebration of that vibrant scene,” says organiser Roland Walls.

On the marquee stage, singers and bands range in style from unaccompanied traditional folk through folk rock, bluegrass and western swing to contemporary a cappella and singer-songwriters.

Next Friday night will be headlined by the Dan Webster Band, with support from Jessica Lawson, David Ward Maclean and others. Los Yobos are reforming solely for next Saturday’s marquee bill, when further highlights include the Duncan McFarlane Band, Holly Taymar, Joe Solo, Route 64 and Broken Ground, while Sunday features Blonde on Bob, Blackbeard’s Tea Party, Soundsphere, The Foresters, Roger Davies and Two.

Over the weekend, main stage spots also go to York folk scene stalwarts Stan Graham, David Swann, Phil Cerny, Eddie Affleck, Fake Thackray, Sarah Dean, Paula Ryan and Two Black Sheep & A Stallion.

Other outdoor entertainment includes Ebor and Acorn Morris Dancers next Saturday and Minster Strays Morris plus the Kaminari Taiko Japanese drummers next Sunday.

“All weekend, as befits a folk festival, there will be plenty of opportunity to sing and play yourself, if that’s your thing,” says Roland.

“There’s a non-stop musicians’ session next Saturday and Sunday in the pub dining room, while the smaller Oak Room and the upstairs function room – home of our weekly folk club – host open-mic club events, singarounds and small-scale concerts.

“Next Friday night there’s a Bob Dylan covers open-mic session to mark the great man’s 70th birthday, while next Sunday evening we focus on home-grown new material with the York Songwriters’ Circle.”

Fringe events include the regular Friday night “Come All Ye” at the nearby Tap & Spile pub and a Sunday morning singing workshop at 11am at the York Explore library.

“We hope there’ll be something for everyone,” says Roland. “All events are entirely free, though we’ll be rattling collection tins to help us meet the unavoidable costs of staging such a free festival.

“The pub will be offering plenty of hot food, as well as a well-stocked bar with a good choice of real ales.”

Friday night events kick off at 7.30pm; Saturday and Sunday at around noon. The full programme can be found at blackswanfolkclub.org.uk or you can phone 01904 632922 for further information.