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NAAFC Festival 2020 By Pia Walker
Newtongrange Clydesdale
Beith
T
he place had more buzz than Celtic Connections” – just one of the many positive comments at the NAAFC Festival in Grangemouth Town Hall on 7th March. And it truly was a great day - or for some a weekend, as the Festival seemed to start on the Friday in the Leapark Hotel with ‘a tune.’ People gathered in one of the function rooms to have a listen to the music produced by various musicians and met up with friends old and new. The Festival proper began at 9am the next day – except for a few bleary-eyed people, namely the festival committee, the bar staff and your editor, who arrived well before that time to set up and prepare for the hordes. Music was heard everywhere, even at the entrance where Harry Hussey took a seat among the exhibitors
and entertained for quite some time. I certainly managed to skip across the floor several times to a tango, a quickstep, a paso doble and a foxtrot (why walk when you can dance!). Richard Ross, the Festival chairman, commented: “The Festival in this, our new home, was a great success musically, socially and financially. We received many favourable comments throughout the day relating to the buzz. The number of competition entries was up again to 146. We are very appreciative of those who travelled from far and wide to help to create a great friendly atmosphere. Particular thanks go to our friends from the Shetlands, Isle of Lewis, the North East of Scotland, West Coast and down South/Borders.
