Funky Australians, American hillbillies, Congolese trance musicians and a British folk-punk troubadour are just a few of the musical gems to be found at this year’s Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Festival director Kerry Clarke announced the 2010 line up Wednesday afternoon at the Ship & Anchor Pub.

“What do you do after celebrating 30 years of the Folk Festival?” asked Clarke, referring to 2009's month-long anniversary celebration.

“You expand. We now have three more hours of programming on Fridays on three stages. Now is the time to book your time off from work.”

Though at first glance it may seem the festival is lacking in big-name acts, it is actually one of the strongest line ups in recent years.

Ian Tyson and Roberta Flack are the two household names who will be headlining Friday and Sunday nights respectively. But the Folk Festival is also welcoming an impressive list of up ‘n’ coming acts including British indie folk songstress Laura Marling, folk-punk singer-songwriter Frank Turner, Quebec rocksteady artist Caracol and B.C. roots-pop darling Dan Mangan.

Festival favourites Michael Franti and Spearhead, Po’ Girl and Linda Tillery and the Cultural Heritage Choir make return appearances at the four-day event, which runs July 22 to 25 at Prince’s Island Park.

Other highlights include Australia’s The Cat Empire, acclaimed American producer and songwriter Joe Henry, Ontario folk revivalists Sunparlour Players, Oscar-winning duo The Swell Season, hip alt.country band The Avett Brothers, electro-acoustic act Delhi 2 Dublin, Congo ‘thumb-piano wizards’ Konono No 1 and soulful hitmaker Finley Quaye.

It was also announced that the Friday schedule will be extended. Doors will now open at 2 p.m. to accommodate more afternoon workshops, which are hugely popular with Folk Fest fans.

These workshops have resulted in some truly magical musical collaborations over the years.

The festival is also welcoming 13 Alberta-based acts, many of whom call Calgary home.

Chris Gheran is among the local artists playing and says it’s been a huge boon for his young career.

“It’s hard to be a singer-songwriter,” said Gheran, who performed a short set alongside fellow Calgary Calgary musicians Samantha Savage-Smith and J.R. Shore following the announcement.

“Everyone has a guitar. But it’s really nice to play the Folk Festival, because I’ve gotten so much attention from it. It’s a great way to be able to stand out.”

For many Calgarians, the CFMF's beautiful and central location is the perfect excuse for a 'staycation'.

"I know some people will book a downtown hotel room for a couple of nights and spend the entire weekend on Prince's Island Park," said Folk Fest board chair Ian Chiclo.

“It’s always about the experience. It’s like being in a national park, except the Sheraton Hotel is across the street.”

Tickets and weekend passes for the Calgary Folk Festival are on sale now through www.calgaryfolkfest.com