Newtown Festival 2010

Overview

With the Newtown Festival, the question isn't where to start but where to stop. Divided into stages, stalls, lawns and avenues, events in the festival trip over each other to entertain, edify or feed you. Three live music stages will feature local Newtown acts, groups from Sydney, and further afield — including the serially strange Richard in Your Mind, duet Stiff Ginns and some local beat poetry. Dog lovers can parade their pets in one of eight categories at the morning Dog Show, while at midday the Planet Ark Clothes Swap will offer an hour of unrestrained cashless fashioning-up.

The Watershed bike library will be there to intrigue cyclists and non-cyclists alike, and younger cyclists can compete to win the Bling Your Bike competitive parade. Poets, crime writers, travel writers and social researchers will populate the Writers Tent, culminating in a political debate between Gillard biographer Jacqueline Kent and ABC political chronicler Annabel Crabb. And at the Local Village, Roomie Artspace and the Wrap With Love Knitting Group can give you some idea where festival proceeds go. Or you can just sit comfortably on the grass, watch the passing show and suck up the essence of Newtown, concentrated.