Everywhere: Articles: Sunshine, Rain, Food, Folk Music: A Green Festival

For four days in late July, thousands of Calgarians and visitors flock to Prince’s Island Park. On this island in the Bow River, you can still see the skyscrapers of downtown through the trees, but the only sound is the music of the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Headliners by Tannis McCartney

Blue Rodeo play on the mainstage on Saturday night of the 2008 Calgary Folk Music Festival.

I look forward to the Calgary Folk Music Festival, or Folk Fest, the way I look forward to a vacation. A four-day pass means two summer evenings of music, followed by two summer days, and two more summer evenings.

Each evening there is a Mainstage show with four or five headline artists performing pernight. During the final Mainstage performance of each night, there is a parade of handmade lanterns through the crowd.

On Saturday and Sunday, with six stages hosting workshops and concerts throughout the day, there is always something good to listen to. Lawn chairs are not allowed, but festival chairs, which sit no more than six inches off the ground, are. Some people carry these around during the day to the various stages; others lie down in the grass (with or without a blanket).

Most people arrive early (some camp out overnight to be the first ones into the park each day) to set up a tarp in front of the Mainstage. This becomes the home base for the day—a place to store extra blankets, rain gear, coolers etc. It’s a place to go for a break from the music, although there isn’t any shade on a hot summer day.

Folk Fest is a green event—the food vendors provide food on real plates, for a $2 deposit. This is not optional, but when the plate is returned you get your money back. The cutlery and the cups from the beer gardens are biodegradable, and the recycling stations include compost bins for these and food scraps. There is even a potable water station for filling up your own water bottles.

Four days is not enough time to sample all the foods—from home-made peroghies, roasted corn, curries, gourmet hot dogs and standard pub fare to sweet treats like frozen lemonade, kettle popcorn and mini-donuts, there is something for every taste.

Many of the artists comment on what a beautiful setting the folk festival is in, and how great the audience is. While everyone hopes for sunshine for the whole festival, it doesn't always happen. Some artists can chase away the rain with their songs, others are not so successful. However, even a light show by Mother Nature, in the form of a thunderstorm, doesn’t chase away the majority of the crowd, who simply hide under tarps and umbrellas until the rain, or the show, is over.

Rain or shine, the Calgary Folk Music Festival is one of the best summer festivals in the city.