Hull Folk and Maritime Festival

Hull folk festival is during July for 2017, Kingston-Upon-Hull's year as City of Culture.

In 2015 it ran from August 14 until Sunday August 16 and we visited briefly.

Hull Folk Festival 2015

Sunday early performers (starting around 1pm) were blessed with great weather and beautiful sunshine. By the afternoon clouds had wiped away the brilliant blue sky but the weather remained dry and relatively warm.

With many of the events outdoors it could have so easily been a washout.

Kingston-upon-Hull city centre was also playing host Sunday to a 'Sky Ride' event meaning it was very busy; the city centre was alive and bustling. Visitors from around the U.K. and abroad were in the city, some for one event or the other but some for both.

Cafes, bars, restaurants and ice-cream sellers were doing a roaring trade.

We opted for lunch at the long established Minerva pub on the old pier front. A 'Minerva stage' outside was hosting musicians throughout the day.

When it was time to stretch our legs we walked around the 'old town'.

Hull suffered badly in the WWII blitz of the U.K. and that removed so many fine old buildings but some have survived.

The Sky ride was in most parts of the city centre meaning traffic was diverted and roads closed accordingly.

Various musicians, bands and individual performers were dotted around the old town and Marina.

FRUIT which is housed on one of the old buildings that used to be part of a bustling fruit market had stalls and a performer on stage. Along the marina a couple were singing from the top of a boat which was open to visitors. On a long canal type of boat or barge a 'family' of musicians were setting toes tapping.

But have you guessed the best part about Sunday's events yet?

They were all free.

Of course most visitors spent some money here and there on food and drink but it was not compulsory. There was nothing to stop visitors bringing a picnic.

The Hull folk festival sort of morphed out of the earlier version, the Sea Shanty festival.

As always the weather in the north of England can make or break events that are largely outdoors.

2015 was a roaring success and as Hull's preparations for its year as City of Culture 2017 continued we looked forward to 2017 and beyond.

Note; In 2015 - The paid events were Friday at FRUIT, The Tannahill Weavers, £12, and Saturday Martin Carthy at Kardomah94, also £12.

Where is Hull? On the north bank of the River Humber, Yorkshire, England