Town’s music festival shrugs off weather woes and heads indoors
The band Agent Orange belt out Don't Stop Believin' at the Dereham Memorial Hall, as part of the Dereham Music Festival. Picture: Stuart Anderson - Credit: Archant
It hasn't panned out quite how organisers had hoped, but the Dereham Music Festival is in full swing this afternoon and attendees are planning on making it a night to remember.
Dereham music festival organiser Adam Coulton with Morgana Hale, left, and Sarah Godsoe, who are both from the Cherry Tree pub, which sponsored the festival. Picture: STUART ANDERSON - Credit: Archant
The first-time event, billed as "a family friendly festival with an Eighties twist", was due take place at Dereham's Fleece Meadow throughout the day today (Saturday, June 8), followed by a gig with hits from the 1980s inside Dereham Memorial Hall in the evening.
But wind and rain forced organiser Adam Coulton to abandon the outdoor element, and the bands have played inside instead.
Mr Coulton said: "The wind was just too high under the canopy of the [outdoor] stage so it wasn't safe enough for the acts to perform. But we're good as gold inside and we're making the best of the situation.
"Hopefully we'll get the community spirit behind us and people will come along and support us."
Dereham Memorial Hall, venue of the 2019 Dereham Music Festival. Picture: STUART ANDERSON - Credit: Archant
A bouncy castle and other inflatables for children had to be cancelled, but a children's performer was still planning to attend.
Mr Coulton said he wanted to thank the staff from the hall as well as the Cherry Tree pub, who sponsored the event, and the food and drink vendors who stuck around despite the weather.
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He said: "We're still running as we would have and we're going to dance all night."
Other performers due to take the stage included Jade May-Jean, Dominic Uppiah, Bad Touch, Pirate Joe and The Foreign Locals and Ska'd 4 Life.
