Coinciding with what would have been Banjo Paterson’s 154^th birthday the Banjo Paterson Australian Poetry Festival is on from February 16-25.

The Orange-based festival, now in its fifth year, starts with the Rotary Brekky and Poetry in the Park at 7.30am Friday in Robertson Park.

From 5.30pm-8.30pm park will host 30 food and wine stalls, music and poetry recitals at the Night Market.

Chair of the organising committee Justin Byrne said a good crowd was expected.

“The music is bush music and there is an open mic for poetry,” he said.

Paterson, a bush poet, journalist and author, is famous for creating characters and songs from ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ to Waltzing Matilda.

The Breakfast with Banjo event will be at Banjo Paterson Park on Ophir Road, near where he was born, from 7.30am on Saturday.

Poetry competition organiser Len Banks said they had 55 entries from students, novices and expert poets for the Banjo Paterson Poetry Competition at the Orange Civic Theatre.

FRIDAY

Rotary Brekky and Poetry, Robertson Park, 7.30am–9am

Banjo Paterson Night Market, Robertson Park, 5.30pm-8.30pm

Shakespeare Under The Stars at Borrodell, 12.30pm and 7.30pm

SATURDAY

Breakfast with Banjo, Banjo Paterson Park, 7.30am–9.30am

Banjo Paterson Poetry Competition, Orange Civic Theatre, 10am-5pm

Wiradjuri Cultural Tours, 10am-2pm

Wentworth Main Mine Open Day, also on Sunday, 10am-2.30pm

Poems to Painting Art Exhibition, Colour City Creatives Studio and Gallery, 10am-4pm

Busking, CBD, 11am-4pm

Banjo at Rosebank, Millthorpe, 1pm–6pm

Concert at Yeoval featuring Anne Kirkpatrick, Yeoval Memorial Hall, 7pm–10pm

SUNDAY

Poet’s Brunch and Lunch Day, Yeoval, 8am–4pm

Damper making classes, Small Acres Cyder, 10am–2.30pm 

Banjo Paterson Schools Poetry Recital, Orange City Centre, 10am–2pm

Bell ringing, Holy Trinity Church, 2pm–4pm. 

www.brandorange.com.au