Box office opens

THE box office for Hebden Bridge Arts Festival opens on Saturday, June 12 at 10.30am.

Though postal and online booking have been available since early May, the opening of the box office for ticket sales at The Festival Shop, Albert Street, is always a significant milestone in the build-up to the Festival - and some events are already selling out fast.

This year's Festival, the 17th, runs from June 26 to July 11. Festival Co-ordinator Rebecca Yorke said: "The box office is run entirely by volunteers and this year we have over 30 people lined up to help with enquiries and ticket sales. The box office is the hub of the Festival. People come in to buy tickets, view the exhibition - this year it's by photographer Martin Parr - pick up programmes and just have a natter.

"We know from experience that people will come in to buy tickets for a particular event and then end up buying tickets for other events after chatting to volunteers. However, advance online booking has been very popular and several events are already close to selling out."

Music events feature strongly in this year's programme, particularly in the opening weekend. On Saturday June 26 Festival-goers can jive and swing to the sounds of the Cadillac Kings and GI Jive at Mytholmroyd Community Centre or enjoy the spellbinding sounds of Kissmet, fusing bhangra and rock, at Hebden Bridge Trades Club.

The Roger Higgins Band with Gary Boyle will bring an evening of lazy swamp blues and funky rhythms to the Trades Club on Friday July 2 while multi-award winning acoustic guitarist Preston Reed will provide a stunning evening's entertainment, also at the Trades Club, on Saturday July 3.

My Sweet Patootie's mix of uptown swing and rural grit has been described as 'hayseed jazz'. Terry Young on guitar and vocals and Sandra Swannell on fiddle and vocals will be familar to Hebden Bridge audiences as part of the roots group Tanglefoot who appeared in 2009. The duo return to the Trades Club on Sunday July 4.

Other music events include young folk duo Tom Kitching and Gren Bartley at the Hole in t'Wall on Wednesday July 7, the acclaimed Eduardo Niebla Quartet at the Trades Club on Thursday July 8 and superb acoustic sounds from Pete Morton, Maggie Boyle and Chris Parkinson at the Waterside Room, Hebden Bridge Town Hall, on Friday July 9.

Contact hbfestival@gmail.com for more information.

The 2010 Festival runs from June 26 to July 11. For more information visit www.hbaf.co.uk, or pick up a brochure around Hebden Bridge over the weekend.

Become a fan of Hebden Bridge Arts Festival on Facebook.