"In some ways this is a festival we prepared earlier," says Newstead Live festival director Kelly Skinner.
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Last year with everything set to go, the organisers were forced to cancel the weekend event a couple of weeks out thanks to COVID's Omicron variant.
"We've mainly rolled all the performers over, except for a couple from interstate," Skinner says.
The musical program for the festival - which opens on Friday evening and runs through to Monday - is "basically folk acoustic but with some acts that "wander off into a bit of skiffle, a bit of ska, a bit of pop sometimes", she says.
Program manager Bronwyn Rowbotham, who put it together, describes the lineup as "brilliant, of course!"
"We've got some big names in the folk area - We Mavericks, Kerryn Fields, Michael Waugh, Endo Kenny, Rich Davies & the Low Road, Alana Wilkinson and the Tuck Shop Ladies," she says.
Central Victorian acts include Cat Canteri, Mandy Connell and Liz Frencham.
A range of other local performers will take to the Live 'n 'Local outdoor stage, including community choirs the Woodend Warblers and Newstead Chorus.
In addition to music gigs, there are various workshops taking place - on singing, instrument playing, songwriting and poetry - including with "brilliant WA writer Kate Wilson".
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There is a free kids program, an open "short-story slam" and an "instrument makers gallery", where 11 craftspeople will showcase the bouzouki, banjos, ocarinas and guitars they produce and audiences can hear them in action at a series of special 'Made & Played' gigs.
With two camping areas, six performance venues, several food outlets open for business and sports clubs involved in catering and transporting equipment, the festival runs "through the whole little town", Rowbotham says.
"We also have a trad disco run by a DJ on Sunday night and a pool party."
Originally established in Chewton in 2001, the live music festival shifted 20km "up the road" in 2007, and is now firmly established as a Newstead event.
In 2020 it attracted 1100 to 1200 people a day, and this year's tickets were selling well in the leadup.
The festival's first performance - Enda Kenny at the Troubodour - is set to kick off at 6pm on Friday and closes with Rich Davies & the Low Roads at 3pm on Monday.
Tickets are $150 for the weekend and $40 an evening, with student and family options available.
"Tell everyone to come along!" Rowbotham says.
For more information visit: https://www.newsteadlive.com/
