Although rain drove the festival under cover for most of the weekend, it did not dampen the enthusiasm of the audiences or the musicians and poets.

Organiser Bob Campbell said the festival program was possibly the best yet and there were good audiences at every venue.

The sounds of bush poets, accordions, guitars, mandolins, banjos and accordions could be heard from most of Gulgong’s coffee shops and hotels, where musicians were invited to perform between programmed concerts.

The historic Prince of Wales Opera House hosted evening concerts and workshops on subjects ranging from squeezeboxes to Scottish harp music, while dancers practised their steps at the Memorial Hall.

Performers said the informal atmosphere of the Gulgong Folk Festival brought them back year after year.

“It’s a beautiful town on the eye,” said Katoomba musician Johnnie Duffy, who played at the New Year’s Eve street concert.

“It’s fabulously historical, not like any other town.”

Musicians John Spencer and Geoff Welham, who perform as Welspent, said in comparison to bigger folk festivals, Gulgong was quiet and informal.

“There is a lot of good music without pretence,” said Geoff.

“And no drummers,” John added.

Highlights of the festival included Saturday’s guitar competition, which was decided by a three-way playoff for the prize of a $1000 guitar handcrafted by Gerard Gilet.

Muswellbrook musician David Harvey, who works for the Upper Hunter Conservatorium of Music, took home the guitar after his performance of the jazz standard Autumn Leaves.

Mr Harvey, who plays in the “three-handed” style of Tommy Emmanuel and Bruce Mathiske, said the festival was a great place to meet other musicians and to perform.

“You get all the concerts, but then you can just go and play in the cafes – I’ve played in three places today as well as the guitar competition,” he said.

Mr Gilet, who donated the $1000 guitar, said he hoped the guitar competition would become an annual part of the festival.

“If everyone could let other people know about it, we could build it up and it will be a good thing,” he said.