Traffic will give way to music and dancing today as St Michael’s Street in St Albans will be closed from 8pm to 10pm for the thirtieth Street Folk evening.

Since 1988 when it first started, this event has been held annually on the first Wednesday in July. This year, it is also part of the St Albans International Organ Festival 2017 and the Fringe Festival mascot Wheeze, an interactive portable organ made from recycled material such as old vacuum cleaners, bellows and balloons, will put in an appearance.

The organ festival features concerts, talks, workshops, art exhibitions, competitions and more throughout the city between July 10 and 22.

An overture will be provided by St Michael’s bell ringers who will be ringing from 7.15pm and will then be around for a while to talk to anyone interested in knowing about the distinctive way bells are rung in England.

Eleven dance groups, representing traditions from all over Britain and Ireland and the Appalachian mountains of the United States will be dancing, with pupils from St Michael’s School doing maypole dances in their lower school playground.

Wicket Brood, from Bricket Wood, performs dances from the Welsh borders. Traditionally the dancers used soot or burnt cork to paint their faces black to disguise themselves, but to both avoid misunderstanding and add colour, the Wicket Brood dancers use green and purple face paints.

St Albans Morris, Phoenix Morris from Rickmansworth and Woodside Morris Men from Watford do the quieter dances from the Cotswolds while Ramrugge Morris from Knebworth and Whitethorn Morris from Harrow, take their dances from the North West of England where the dancers’ clogs resounded in the cobbled streets.

There will be Scottish dances by The Hiel and Toe Club and Irish dances by the Louise Walsh Irish Dancers.

St Michael’s Village will be filled with music all evening. The Irish musicians from Comhalthas Ceolteori Eireann will join other St Albans musicians who play traditional music in an informal session in the Rose and Crown, while the sounds of many ukuleles, played by the Ver Players, will fill the car park and the Six Bells Allstars will be playing in the Six Bells.

Details: stmichaelsfolkevening.org.uk