A POPULAR Worcestershire venue for families – The Jinney Ring Craft Centre – is staging its third annual fun-packed folk festival with local and visiting musicians.

The weekend event, which takes place at the centre at Hanbury near Droitwich, offers people a chance to listen to an array of musical acts, and even join in a jamming session, as well as enjoy a range of food and drink on offer. There is a cider and perry festival running alongside the music offerings.

The festival starts on Friday Friday June 10 at 6pm when the bar opens and a four-piece band called Nothing To Prove will be providing the entertainment. The opening night will include a jamming session and anyone who plays a musical instrument is invited to bring it along and join in the spontaneous fun.

On Saturday June 11 there will be eight live bands performing between 12noon and 11pm. These will include Malvern folk/punk duo Jack Of All which formed in 2014. They will be taking the stage from 2.30pm to 3.30pm.

Their songs range from those rooted in a political and social consciousness to those based in deeply personal experiences. They play a range of original songs with diverse influences including The Levellers, New Model Army, David Ford, Billy Bragg, The Specials, and Seth Lakeman.

Last year they played at a number of festivals including How The Light Gets In, Livestock, Tramlines Fringe, Lakefest, Colwall FM Festival and Worcester Music Festival.

Teenage folk trio from Worcester Granny’s Attic will perform a range of English, Irish and Scottish traditional music as well as some of their own compositions from 4pm to 5pm.

The band, which was nominated for the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award in 2014, formed in 2009 out of a shared passion for music and have played at Wychwood, Banbury Folk Festival, Bromyard Folk Festival and Worcester Music Festival.

Another band with local connections is Jasper in the Company of Others which will present an energetic fusion of indie pop. It has featured at a number of festivals and supported a range of performers including Ed Sheeran, Ben Howard, Luke Concannon, Dog Is Dead and Brother & Bones. The band will be on stage from 10pm to 11pm.

The other acts are Lucy Ward – an award-winning singer-songwriter who plays guitar, ukulele and concertina. She reached the final of the BBC Young Folk Award.

Singer, songwriter and guitarist Sam Carter is in the line-up as are the fun and energetic Woo Town Hillbillies who are sure to inject a buzz with their high-flying bluegrass with tumbling banjo, mandolin and harmonica breaks, and joyous reels and jigs - all mixed with a smattering of beautiful heartfelt tunes, accompanied by harmonies.

Sisters Natalie and Sally Joiner – otherwise known as The Honeyfire – will perform their harmony driven folk dream-pop, while The Bard of Ledbury Mark Stevenson will also be in the line-up.

The festival finished on Sunday with a chance for everyone to relax and finish the beer – if there’s any left.

For more information visit http://www.jinneyring.co.uk/acatalog/Folk-Festival-2016.html

Camping facilities are available for anyone wanting to bring tents or roll up in their motorhome while there will be a range of food available at the craft centre throughout the weekend including a garden BBQ.