Presented by: The Festival is presented by The Newtown Neighbourhood Centre Inc (NNC) and is the major fundraiser for the NNCÂ's services and programs that provide for the disadvantaged in the community.
Location: Camperdown Memorial Rest Park, bound by Australia St, Lennox St, Church St and Federation Road.
Road Closures: For public safety the road closures will be in place for the festival day (Sunday 8th November) from 5am - 8pm.
SydneyÂ's most iconic free community festival is a music Mecca! - a unique community gathering celebrating diversity as well as being an epic springboard into the summer season of sun and festivities.
Did you know the Newtown Festival is organised by the Newtown Neighbourhood Centre (NNC) ? Yep, thatÂ's rightÂ. .. .this fabulous annual, free event has been brought to the community due to the dedicated staff and volunteers of the NNC.
Festival highlights: Infamous Dog Show, 5 stages of music and performance, writers tent, creativity, eco stuff, kids activities, 280 market stalls, licensed bars, food and tons of fun.
The festival attracts over 80,000 people annually as the music program is diverse catering to all including rock, reggae, hip-hop, world, funk, soul and jazzÂ. .. .plus some random yet-to-be classified styles!
Main Stage (Federation Road)
The hub of the Festival! This stage has the capacity for crowds of thousands before it. Surrounded by almost 150 stalls this area is the place where people meet, greet and congregate on the festival day.
This stage has seen some great acts play including the Whitlams, Evermore, Sarah Blasko, Blue King Brown, King Farook, and the Herd.
10:50am Welcome To Country
11:00am Â- 11:30am The Domestics
11:50am - 12.20pm Dimity Claire & the Bleeding Hearts
12:40pm Â- 1:10pm Parades
1:30pm Â- 2:00pm Barons of Tang
2:20pm Â- 2:50pm Jill Barber
3:10pm Â- 3:40pm Dead Letter Chorus
4:00pm Â- 4:30pm Kingfisha
4:50pm Â- 5:30pm Hermitude
Essential Stage(Lennox Street)
Loosely coined the 'Alternative Stage' this area is situated at the major entrance to the festival. This stage has showcased bands such as the Cops, Waiting for Guinness, Klub Koori, Watussi, the Paper Scissors and Melanie Horsnell.
10:00am Â- 10:30am Greenlight
10:45am Â- 11:15am KYU
11:30am Â- 12:00pm GHOUL
12:15pm Â- 12:45pm Chase the Sun
1:05pm Â- 1:25pm Fisherking
1:45pm Â- 2:15pm Ships Piano
2:35pm Â- 3:05pm Seekae
3:25pm Â- 4:05pm Deep Sea Arcade
4:25pm Â- 5:00pm The Crayon Fields
Vocal Local Village
Featuring: High&Dry festival art installations, 100% Solar powered sound system, roving performances and more. ..
09:00am Â- 09:30am VLV Opening - Newtown Community Choir
09:30am Â- 10:00am Laughing Club
10:00am Â- 10:30am Wing Chun showcase
10:30am Â- 11:00am Freshwater
11:00am Â- 11:15am Break
11:15am Â- 11:45am And Then to bed
11:45am Â- 12:15pm Le Gato Gruff
12:15pm Â- 1:00pm Hobo Bordeaux
Eco Highlites At The Newtown Festival
Come and check out the Eco Events for tons of handy hints, tips and advice that will show you how to easily reduce your impact on the environment.
*The Watershed: Natural Cleaning & Home Detox demos
Newtown's local environment centre will be running free ongoing 'natural cleaning & home detox' demonstrations from their stall and attendees will have the opportunity to make their own natural cleaning products to take home.
The Watershed will also be bringing a mini environmental library, where festival attendees can sit down and read a book or get more information on sustainability issues.
The Watershed's stall will be located next to the Swap Party area near theVocal Local Village .
The Watershed
*Planet Ark and The Watershed: Big Aussie Swap Party
"Update your wardrobe, music and book collection, toolshed and kids toy box - for FREE!"
Join in the Big Aussie Swap Party, being hosted by The Watershed and Planet Ark at the Newtown Festival.
Bring along up to 5 good quality items you no longer want (make sure they clean and are in good condition*). Register them with a volunteer in exchange for a token each. Browse the items brought by others. The when the Swap Party officially opens exchange your tokens for new items.
Newtown Park, Near the Kids Playground, Australia Street Entrance
Registration opens 11:30
Swap Party runs from 12:30 - 2:00pm
*No electricals
Big Aussie Swap Party
*The Bower: onsite eco-shop and live sculpture
Come and visit the The Bower at Newtown, located in the Vocal Local Village. ..
What might I find at the Bower stall at Newtown? An interesting and eclectic selection of goodies from the shop such as books, mirrors, glassware, tools, DVDs, video's CDs, bric-a-brac, small furniture and an collection of vinyl LPs for sale, info on the Reuse Referral Service and the Eco-Library.
Also featured one of The Bower's creative members will be demonstrating a live sculpture made from pre-loved materials. The name of this game is turning the pre-loved into re-loved. It's a race to efface all traces of waste from the place by hastily using laces and paste to create a space graced with great taste. Just envision the juxtaposition of flotsam and jetsam in any condition with skill and precision; delicious decisions without intermission until the fruition of this ambitious mission. One admission without contrition: this exhibition will generate insufficient carbon emissions for the Coalition's wishin'.
What is the Bower? Basically it's shop that sells pre-loved household, building and office stuff. The Bower Re-Use and Repair Centre is a registered not-for-profit co-operative and charity. The Bower's aim is to contribute solutions to Sydney' s waste crisis by diverting re-usable household and office items back to the community. This is done through accepting donations of pre-loved goods or by offering suggestions on who else might be able to accept them. The Bower also advocates for a less wasteful society through their Eco-Library (found in store), open to members & non-members alike.
The Bower
*Graeme's Worm Farm
Bring your compostable waste to the huge mobile worm farm and meet the slippery little critters that turn your waste into garden gold.
Graeme will be on hand to give you all the tips you need for successful worm farming.
Writers Tent Program 2009
Sponsored by Newtown bookshop Better Read Than Dead, the Writer's Tent brings together some of the best local and national writing talent the country has to offer.
11:00AM
Newtown's Performance Poets
Local poets will entertain with their unique blend of poetry, music and rhyme.
12:00PM
Charlotte Woods - Brothers & Sisters
Charlotte will explore the tensions, alliances and affections between siblings in this dazzling collection of new stories.
1:00PM
Thomas Keneally - Australians - Volume 1, Origins to Eureka
Booker Prize winner Tom Kenneally tells in the first of a trilogy that will undoubtedly help define our nation, Tom brings to life the vast range of characters who have formed our national story.
2:00PM Robert Forster - The Ten Rules of Rock & Roll
In conversation with Bernard Zuel, Robert talks about his life as a Go Between, his subsequent solo music career, and how he established himself as one of the finest music critics in the business.
2:45PM
Alex Miller - Lovesong
Alex chats with Anita Heiss about the characters in his new novel and provides a deeply moving story of their lives together, and of how each was undone by desire.
3:30PM
Richard Glover - The Mud House
Richard returns with a funny, frank and thought provoking memoir, in which he describes how four friends, set out to build an edifice that would outlast all of them. Along the way he discovers big things.
4:15PM
Reg Mombassa - The Mind & Times of Reg Mombassa
Musician, writer, illustrator and Australian icon Reg Mombassa talks with Murray Waldren about this book, From his days with the Mentals to his work with Mambo for the Sydney Olympics, Reg paints a fascinating picture of his life as a writer, musician and designer, and demonstrates that he still has plenty of inspiration left for the future.
Getting there: The best options are to either walk, ride a bike or get public transport.
(subject to change) -
for more information:
http://www.newtowncentre.org/festival/ * Public Transport: located one block from King Street, close to bus routes (423, 426, 428, 355, 370) and Newtown Railway Station. For full public transport options go to
www.131500.com.au or call 131500.
* Bike: plenty of areas to lock up bikes. A bike parking station is often created. Keep an eye out on our website for more details.
* Walk: Â. ..great idea! You will be pleased you did!
* Car: not a great idea, however if you insist, expect to be in for a bit of a walk as parking near the site is quite tricky.
