The festival is a series of tours that takes folk and contemporary artists on the road to tiny halls in communities all over Australia.

The family-friendly event began in 2013, inspired from a Canadian touring structure –bringing music to farmlands, flood lands, rain-forests and the outback.

“The opportunity to enjoy musicians of this quality just isn’t regularly available in regional towns,” executive producer Eleanor Rigden said.

Excited to create their inaugural musical pairing, Scandinavian musicians Fru Skagerrak and Australian rock musician Liam Gerner will kick off the Summer Tour 2019 on Friday January 4 in Tasmania.

The artists will wind their way through the East Coast and stop by the Illawarra Folk Festival at Bulli Showgrounds from January 18 to 20, as well as the quaint Centenary Hall on Tongarra Road at Albion Park on January 23.

Gerner is a 35-year-old singer songwriter who’s toured his story songs and played guitar for artists through Europe, USA and Australia.

He’s released two albums and a book of original songs Ukulele Songs By Kids For Kids.

​Fru Skagerrak are three musicians who met at Denmark’s biggest folk festival in 2011, and have been making music across the globe ever since.

Centenary Hall was constructed in 1959 at a cost of 40,000 pounds by Shellharbour Municipal Council, as the focus of centenary celebrations for local government in the area at the time.

The main purpose of this public hall was to show films, however, with the introduction of television soon after the hall was completed, few films were viewed there.

Instead, it was used for balls, dances, weddings and other functions. The rooms in the building were also used for meetings, Meals on Wheels as well as for technical college classes.

For ticket information and more details visit: www.festivalofsmallhalls.com AND www.illawarrafolkfestival.com.au