THE tradition of Dartmoor folk music and dance will be preserved in South Zeal this weekend at the 26th annual Dartmoor Folk Festival.

Television gardener Terry Underhill will perform the official opening of the festival, which runs from August 8-10, on Saturday afternoon.

The gardening expert has been invited to perform the opening in his capacity as president of the Devon District Folk Committee, a position he has held for more than 15 years.

Terry is one of the founding members of the Dartington Morris Men and still regularly dances with the side.

He said he was ?honoured? to be asked to open the festival. Terry will also be asked to crown this year?s South Zeal carnival queen, teenager Cassie Hooper, ahead of the autumn carnival.

There will be plenty going on before the official opening takes place. The festival kicks off tomorrow evening (Friday) in the marquee with acts including veteran folk singer Cyril Tawney, the Odra Folk Choir from Ostrava in the Czech Republic and Mawkin. The evening will finish with folk dancing with the Dartmoor Pixie Band.

Saturday morning sees a host of workshops, including classes on Dartmoor broom dance and Dartmoor step dance.

A new feature this year, on Saturday and Sunday morning in St Mary?s Church, is a starter song workshop hosted by Dick Makepeace. The session is for those who have started singing folk songs but do not feel they are ready to perform in larger groups or in front of an audience.

Terry Underhill will officially open the festival at 2.20pm on Saturday, before the Grand ?Dart-i-moor? Fayre, compered by Dave Wills and featuring stepdance and broomdance championships.

The stepdance competition involves dancers stepping on a 15-inch square board showing their different steps to try to outstep the previous dancer. The final of the stepdance competition will take place on an old hay-wagon.

Take a break from the music and dance and you will be able to enjoy a craft tent, sideshows, a Dartmoor ramble and there is children?s entertainment too.

Other performers during the weekend are Patterson Jordan Dipper, the ceilidh band Token Women and the Northern Irish storyteller Billy Tear.

On Sunday, there will be an afternoon of music, dance and song with Hearts of Oak, interspersed with displays from this year?s invited dance teams.

The finale of the weekend offers a last chance to enjoy the festival guests in the marquee. The event will be compered by the one and only Tony Beard, the Wag from Widecombe, with an overture from Mawkin.

Festival press officer Alan Quick, said: ?The Dartmoor Folk Festival was founded by local musician, the late Bob Cann BEM, who had the idea to start his own folk festival to help revive and preserve the traditions of Dartmoor, and in particular, the traditional music, dance, song and crafts of the area.

?His inspiration is continued by his family and friends and the event has become more than he could possibly have imagined.?

For further details about the festival, contact Mrs Jane White on 01837 840102 or check out the website: http://www.dartmoorfolkfestival.co.uk">www.dartmoorfolkfestival.co.uk