Peter Thornton inspires Fleurieu Folk Festival from 2003 to become South Australia's top event in that genre
Fleurieu Folk Festival in October at Willunga on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide, was built on the enthusiasm of Peter Thornton (at left) an accordion/concertina player and composer in traditional folk music and Australian bush music style.
Fleurieu Folk Festival grew from a modest start at Aldinga Hotel in 2003 to Willunga, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, south of Adelaide, where it became the South Australia’s premier folk music event.
Peter Thornton, director of Fleurieu Folk Festival, was an inspirational force in making it recognised nationally as one of the most family-friendly and accessible festivals. The festival attracted renowned folk performers from overseas and around Australia. Thornton was inducted into the Adelaide Music Collective’s South Australian music hall of fame in 2016 by Eric Bogle. One of South Australia’s leading accordion and concertina players in traditional folk music and Australian bush music, Thorton died the next year but asked his family to sell his precious antique concertina and use the money to encourage young musicians to play in traditional style. The result was the annual Peter Thornton memorial award.
Fleurieu Folk Festival also nominated outstanding folk musicians, such as Voice Australia contestants Ella and Sienna, to represent South Australia in Folk Alliance Australia’s youth showcase concerts at the national folk festival in Canberra. After a break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Fleurieu Folk Festival returned to Willunga’s recreation park in October 2022. It presented local, interstate and international folk musicians in a three-day celebration covering range of genres, including traditional and contemporary folk, acoustic, Celtic, blues, Americana, roots, bluegrass and more, supplemented by workshops, sessions, dancers, blackboard concerts, musical theatre, poetry, spoken word and children’s entertainment, local food, wine and market stalls. A special venue – Cafe AcousticA – was for people who wanted to play their own music and a Busk Stop for buskers.
Fleurieu Folk Festival received the community event of year in the City of Onkaparinga’s Australia Day awards in 2014, 2016, 2020 and 2022.
