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Dancing in the street © SW Images
A Bunch of Cowboys! © SW Images
FUNDERS
The Festival Committee would like to thank the following
for their generous support and sponsorship of this event:
STRANRAER FREE PRESS
DUMFRIES & GALLOWAY COUNCIL
GAELFORCE
This event is part funded by the Dumfries & Galloway Festivals and Event Tourism Challenge Fund.
Creetown counts down to 2009 Festival
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Media Information
Issued: May 2009
Creetown Country Music Festival has revealed its full marquee programme of country music for the 2009 festival and has promised a completely fresh approach to the long standing event.
Taking place this year from the 18th to 20th September, the changes came as the organisers recognised important lessons had been learned during the 2008 event. The main changes made for 2009 are:
Entire festival site relocating to a private, secure, self contained site within Creetown
One dedicated country music marquee and a second playing traditional music
A return to 3 days rather than 4
Two on-site camping areas, one dedicated to the Westerners
Improved facilities and more stalls
Secure perimeter with no access for non-ticket holders
24 hour security patrols
Festival Chairman Jim McDowall said the organisers are confident they’ve got it right for 2009:
“The Creetown Country Music Festival is hugely important to our town and we are absolutely committed to making it an event that visitors enjoy and want to return to again and again. Last year we undertook a major survey of our visitors to find out what they wanted to see and how we could improve it, and that survey has very much informed our planning this year.
“Security has been an ongoing issue, mainly due to the unwelcome presence of youths from a nearby town, but we’ve been hindered in our ability to do anything about it because our site has always been a public park – which meant we had no authority to remove anyone. This is the main reason why we have relocated the festival. Our new private site will be completely secure and offers us tremendous scope for making real improvements to our event.
“The most dramatic change is adding a second marquee. Last year we tried to encourage more local people to come along by hosting a tribute evening, and while this was a financial success for the festival it took away from the traditional country music which has always been at the heart of the Creetown festival. This year our festival will have a 100% dedicated country marquee with some fantastic country bands, and our second marquee will play a mix of traditional music including folk, traditional Irish and Scottish music and bluegrass. We hope the quality of the live music will be such that at times people will be torn between the two marquees!
“And of course the other big change is free, secure onsite camping for weekend ticket holders, with two camp sites, one for the Westerners and one for those who aren’t too fussed about gun fights. With the practical changes we’ve made and the warm, friendly atmosphere that comes as standard at country music festivals, we are anticipating that the 2009 Creetown Country Music Festival will genuinely take a leap forward in providing a quality country music experience for new visitors as well as our long standing friends.”
The programme of country music was confirmed this week as:
Friday
Lazy Dog
Rootin’ Tootin’
Hillbilly Deluxe
Saturday
Afternoon showcase
Buchannan
Cajun Moon
Armadillos
Sunday
Bob Morgan & the Western Reunion
Louisiana
Ade Payne
Soggy Bottom Boys
Picasso Brothers
The three additional bands which will play during the Saturday afternoon street fair have still to be confirmed, as has the full programme of music for the alternative music marquee which will be announced on the festival website at the end of May.
Also on offer is a family friendly mix of daytime events and activities, including a street fair, traditional costume parades, stalls, a western style shoot out, line dancing, bean eating, fast draw and horseshoe throwing competitions and more. A detailed schedule of activities and events will be confirmed later in the summer.
The festival is supported by the Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press, Gaelforce, Dumfries & Galloway Council and Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association (DGAA), who are sponsoring the alternative music tent as part of the Homecoming Scotland celebrations.
Tickets for the Creetown Country Music Festival start from £20 for a one day adult ticket and £5 for a child ticket. Free, secure, onsite camping is available to all weekend ticket holders. Tickets and camping passes can be purchased from the ticket office on 01671 820 654 or from the festival website at www.creetown-countrymusic-festival.com.
- Ends -
Contact:
For further information, to arrange visits to the festival and / or to request complimentary press pass tickets, please contact Lorna Young on
Tel: 01387 263 886 Mobile: 0790 567 9475 or email: lorna@indigowords.co.uk
Notes for Editors:
2009 is the 13th annual Festival, taking place from 18th – 20th September 2009.
The Festival can attract up to 10,000 people each year - Creetown’s resident population is only 700 people!
The festival is a 3-day celebration of Country & Western, including live music, a street fair, parades, demonstrations, street dancing and competitions.
The festival is organised entirely by an enthusiastic team of volunteers and is the largest country music festival in Scotland.
The Creetown Country Music Festival 2009 is sponsored by the Stranraer and Wigtownshire Free Press.
The Creetown Country Music Festival is supported by Gaelforce 2009, Dumfries & Galloway Council and Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association.
Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a celebratory programme of events across Scotland from 25th January to 30th November 2009. Spread the word and join our celebrations in 2009. Find out more at http://www.homecomingscotland.com