How to Plan a Weekend at the Berwyn Festival

For a Friday and Saturday in May, the tiny village of Llanarmon D.C. in the foothills of the beautiful Berwyns plays host to a two day celebration of local music, food and art. About three hundred people make the journey to the stunning area on the banks of the upper Ceiriog River to enjoy a programme of acclaimed local talent and cuisine.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Book tickets for Friday and Saturday evenings’ musical entertainment either by post, phone or email – the details of which can all be found on the festival website (see Resources below). Tickets are approximately £10 per night for adults, but you can get a cheaper deal by booking for both nights. Admission to the food fair and art exhibitions in the day time is free.
2. Head to Oswestry or Chirk if you’re coming by car to the festival. From Chirk, drive through the Ceiriog Valley on the B4500 for about 24 miles to reach the village of Llanarmon DC. From Oswestry, you’ll need to follow the B4579 through Selattyn and Glyn Ceirog, then turn onto the B4500 for Llanarmon. You could also try taking the train to Chirk from Birmingham or Chester, and then getting the number 60 bus to Llanarmon which runs twice a day.
3. Book yourself into one of Llanarmon’s country hotels if you plan to stay for both days of the festival. They offer cheap deals if you buy a meal, accommodation and entry combination ticket from them.
4. Check out the local artists, painters and sculptors from the Ceiriog Valley who will be exhibiting their works at the festival. They will be showing everything from digital artwork, glass sculptures, photography and basketry in the exhibition.
5. Indulge in some delicious home grown delicacies at the Berwyn Festival food fair. Local producers and suppliers will be offering cuisine produced and grown in the Ceirog Valley and Berwyn region for you to sample and take home.
6. Enjoy the varied line-up of music on offer at the festival over the two days, including folk, jazz and blues performances. Head to Centenary Hall in Llanarmon to listen to the acts on Friday and Saturday nights from about 7 p.m., where there’s also a licensed bar.
7. Sign up for the Berwyn Festival’s Young Bands auditions in March to be in with a chance of appearing at a special gig on the Saturday afternoon. All young performers from Ceirog Valley and the Berwyn area, no matter what their genre and what language they perform in, are invited to audition, and you should get in touch with the festival organisers through their website.

Tips & Warnings

• Even though the festival is held at the beginning of summer, the weather can be unpredictable. Pack a waterproof and an umbrella to guard against the typical British weather!