Just relaxing with a beer in the sun writing about my visit to the Americana Festival yesterday, down at the Sage on the Quayside. What a fantastic weekend of music! It’s a three day festival held in and around the Sage celebrating the finest American roots music. Did I mention that a lot of it is also free? Two free stages with music all afternoon and the fact that the weather was amazing just topped the whole thing off.

While there is some seating available outside in front of the Jumpin Hot Stage, there is also space for camping chairs and the hill can be used for picnic blankets and letting the children run free, if they don’t want to sit and watch the bands. Plenty of food too at the SummerTyne Street Kitchen, with good old Mac N Cheese and Texas Smoker’s Burgers. Who says I can’t wash that down with a little bit of posh plonk from the Pimms Bar???

Favourite band of Saturday was William the Conqueror, got a few folks up dancing and the atmosphere was great.

The Americana Diner inside the Sage was also a welcome addition and served some lovely food and milkshakes for the kids. All the best things you could want to eat, Classic American Burger, sweet potato fries, all the usual suspects you’d expect to see on a Diner menu. If you can’t get a seat at the indoor Concourse Stage you can still hear the music while munching your food. It’s like a 2 for 1!!

Music, great food, nice selection of drinks, amazing weather and views to die for from the Sage. A pretty perfect day! And if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket for the evening performances then even more time to have fun.