Yorkshire’s funkiest family friendly festival, Limetree in Grewelthorpe, will be able to welcome more festival goers than ever before in its fourth year to enjoy a line up of the best local, national and global jazz, soul, funk, dubstep and folk artists, bands and DJs.  

The Limetree Festival site, in a natural conservation area deep in North Yorkshire, will double in size allowing more people to enjoy the vibrant yet relaxed and sociable atmosphere over the Bank Holiday weekend, 26 – 28 August 2011. 

Embracing music and culture with four individual stages, each with their own agenda, the festival is diverse but all inclusive.  The main Green Man stage hosts some of the bigger names including, and making their Limetree debuts, ethnic eletronica from Transglobal Underground; The Fantastics who have performed live on BBC sessions for Mark Lamarr and Craig Charles; Mercury and Brit award nominee jazz singer Carleen Anderson and merging the sounds of jazz, blues, folk, funk and pop Krystle Warren.   

The Jason Rae stage brings new and unsigned bands from across the world, this year taking in China Shop Bull with their blend of ska and drum’n’bass, punk from Captain Hotknives and Yorkshire based indie bands Leonards Revenge and The Secret Sirens.  

In the dance tent, the Grammy nominated Zero 7 and collaborator of Dub/Electro/Drum with Islamic/world grooves, Celt Islam will play DJ sets with all things folk, comedy and cabaret, QueerinSpace in the Bet Lynch tent will be home to rising soul star 19 year old singer songwriter Jasmine Kennedy, the duo behind one of Mojo’s Top 10 Folk Albums of the Year 2010 O'Hooley & Tidow and acoustic soul from Extracurricular’s Ruby & Noah. 

It’s not all about the music at Limetree, although it plays a very major part: the festival takes places at Lime Tree Farm, a spiritual sanctuary at the edge of the Vale of York, complete with roundhouse and stone circle.  

For the first time this year there will a science area themed on the planets offering eight practical demonstrations and workshops for families during the day, and the chance to remember what the night sky looks like away from the glare of city lights with after dark telescope sessions accompanied by music. 

Limetree is a family run festival and it has always been important to organisers Sean and Karen Birdsall, and their family, that children have as much to do and enjoy as the adults.  

The children’s area includes harp and guitar workshops, DJ taster sessions and for the littlest ones, ‘Weenyboppers’ with songs and games.  

A separate camping area this year allows families to relax when it comes to bedtime knowing they won’t be woken by late night stragglers and there is a growing programme of events and workshops for toddlers and teenagers. 

Sean comments: “We want everyone to enjoy all that Limetree Festival can offer.  The area in itself is a treat to be in with stunning views across the hills and we even have our own fresh water spring but the site is still relatively small so it feels, and is, safe and easy for everyone to get from place to place. All that and with music covering so many genres there really is something for everyone.” 

Keeping the festival on top form are several other local and regional businesses, Festi4 is the official travel provider for 2011 and will be running a shuttle bus service from Ripon to the heart of the festival and a dedicated coach from Leeds.  Making sure the drinks are topped up and running the bars will be staff from The Wardrobe in Leeds.