FOLK had a great time on Dartmoor last weekend at the 29th Dartmoor Folk Festival held in South Zeal. It was a chance for fans of traditional music, song, crafts and dance to enjoy a packed programme of entertainment. The event was officially opened by Col Tony Clark. Popular local outfit the Dartmoor Pixie Band followed the opening concert with a dance, and used the event to launch their first CD ?The Pixies Strike Again?. The first official release since a cassette tape 18 years ago, the CD features 17 tracks from the band?s current repertoire, many of which were recorded at South Zeal?s Victory Hall. The band?s mix of melodeon, piano accordion, banjo, drums and bass produces a distinctive sound. The festival also featured a lunchtime concert ?Unsung Heroes? by the Cornish Songwriters, which was followed by the launch of a new project to encourage people to take up playing the melodeon. The Devon Squeezebox Foundation, led by Crediton musician Ed Rennie, will host a series of workshops throughout the county passing on his knowledge of the melodeon. The popular annual championships of the Dartmoor stepdance and broom dance competitions were held on Saturday. The stepdance competition involves dancers trying to out-step one another on a 15-inch square board, to win a place in the competition?s final which is held on an old hay wagon. Adult winner was Nina Hansell of Wallingford, Oxford, who learned the correct dance steps at workshops held at the festival. She attended the first workshop eight years ago and has been to every one since! Junior winner was Maddy Vallance, 11, of Station Road, Okehampton, who learned the dance steps at the morning festival workshop. Maddy is a talented dancer and is off to the Birmingham Royal Ballet School in September. Broom dance competition champion was John Aylen, 10, of Craon Gardens, Okehampton. He had learned the correct dance steps while a pupil at South Tawton Primary School at classes run by local resident, Sarah Bazeley. The concert by Norfolk?s folk entertainer Sid Kipper was full to capacity and there were good attendance figures for all the events throughout the weekend. Festival president Joyce Cann described the festival as ?one of the best?. Alan Quick, Festival publicity officer, said: ?It was certainly successful and enjoyable. ?The work of many people ensures that the festival maintains its reputation as one of the top events in the UK folk calendar.? The Dartmoor Folk Festival was started by the late Bob Cann in 1978. He received the British Empire Medal for his service to folk music before his death in 1990. Dates of the 30th anniversary festival were announced as August 10, 11 and 12, 2007.