After a successful on-line presence in 2020 The Tarland Food and Music Festival is back with an action-packed programme for all ages!
The festival, now in its eighth year, celebrates quality local food and Tarland’s thriving music scene. Events run throughout the village.
This year, the festival will run from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th September and will include a range of exciting music and food events at venues throughout Tarland, including a headline concert on Saturday 25th by one of Scotland’s most popular folk-based groups to emerge in the last decade. Talisk have toured the world stacking up major awards for the explosively energetic yet artfully woven sound, including Folk Band of the Year at the BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. They will be supported by musical geniuses, and two of the best musicians of their generation, guitarist and melodeon player Tim Edey and piper and whistle player Ross Ainslie.
On Friday 24th festival favourite and local fiddler Paul Anderson, alongside innovative pianist Brian McAlpine, will be providing the support for The Karen Matheson Band. Widely recognised as the compelling vocals of Scots band Capercaillie, with whom she has graced the pop charts and featured in blockbuster movies, Karen’s solo career highlights have included sharing the stage with Pete Seeger in New York and performing at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where her stunning rendition of ‘Ae fond kiss’ stole the show to a televised audience of over 600 million people.
The Friday and Saturday night concerts will be both in person and live-streamed to allow all to attend.
Festival-goers will also be entertained over the weekend by the Highland Granite Pipes and Drums and the Finzean Ukulele group who will perform in Tarland Square. During the afternoon of Saturday 25th there will be a chance to join in with a traditional music session at The Aberdeen Arms in the evening and a mixed instrument and singing workshop on Sunday 26th.
The Festival programme features activities for all the family. The Tarland Local Market will be held in the MacRobert Hall on Saturday 25th from 10 am – 12 midday (free entry), and will feature an exciting range of local food producers, plus teas and home-baking by Cromar Senior Citizens. Tarland’s busy social hub ‘Tarland Tearooms’ will transform into a ‘Italian Ristorante’ during the evenings of Friday 24th and Saturday 25th, cooking up a feast of Italian dishes. Keen bakers can hone their cake decoratingskills in a workshop with Shannon Black or make bagels and butteries with Doug Cookson of Crannach Bakery. There is also a foraging and preserving workshop with Eleanor Brown the Fermented Forager. The Commercial Hotel will be showcasing the best of Scottish fare with an “all you can eat buffet” before the main concert on Saturday night. Whisky expert Gordon Muir will be on hand to guide you through some special malts and Paella Escocia will keep festival-goers well fed over Saturday lunchtime in The Square.
The Cromar Community Food Surplus and Tarland Climate Crisis Group will combine kids activities and entertainment alongside their food surplus pop up pantry and CC Duncan will lead a workshop on Vietnamese cooking with participants being taught how to make chicken salad and summer rolls.
Two popular walking events make a welcome return this year. Fiddler Paul Anderson will once again be leading his musical tour around the Howe of Cromar and Peter Craig from the Cromar History Group will regale walkers with interesting stories about how life was lived in the village in days gone by.
A brand new event for this year is The World Oatcake Championship where contestants will be welcomed from far and wide to battle it out for the title of “Oatcake Champion of the World!” Judge Matt Price, Head Chef, from Douneside House, will be on the lookout for the ultimate oatcake and all ages are welcome to enter.
All events are subject to change at short notice.
Full details of the Festival are available here: http://www.tarland.org.uk/food-music-day/ or via Facebook. For more information please call 07873695170 or email tarlandfmf@gmail.com
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