Festival flashbacks: Memories from the Vancouver Folk Music Festival
CBC fans share stories and photos of good times at annual folk fest
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is kicking off its 42nd weekend and fans young and old will start heading down Friday to Jericho Beach Park to check out the acts, the vendors and the vibes.
To celebrate the last four decades of getting down, The Early Edition asked CBC listeners to share their photos and stories from past years and they started pouring in. They just might inspire you to grab a blanket and a pair of Birkenstocks and see what all the fun is about.
The early years
Heather Lane sent in this blast from the past:
This is my husband, Jason, at his first Folk Fest, wearing a great tan and I'm sure not a drop of sunscreen!
The '79 festival was his favourite as it was only the 2nd year. It was an idyllic summer day and the lineup included Shari Ulrich with Pied Pumkin, of whom he's still a fan. Like everyone who's been knows, the fabulous and varied music in that matchless setting makes for a memorable festival every single year.
Vintage volunteer
Toni Serofin gave us this gem:
This is my 30th year of volunteering at the amazing Vancouver Folk Music Festival.
Way before we were all available on our smart phones, the volunteer co-ordinator would take Polaroids of the committee leaders. The pics were posted backstage at the administration tent to help staff and other committees find us on site.
That's me in the middle, with my awesome curly 80s hair and baggy shorts!
Broken strings and swear words
Jen Wright provided this pic of a classic Canadian folk musician:
First festival at Jericho Beach with Stan Rogers. He broke a string onstage and cursed!
At the 1983 Folk Festival, shortly after Stan's death in June, the enormous crowd sang "The Mary Ellen Carter" in the twilight of a perfect summer night. Still gives me chills. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/vancouverfolk?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#vancouverfolk</a> I'd seen him perform in Victoria a few weeks earlier. "Rise again, Rise Again..."
—@ron_usherSummer nights
Sandra Klomp sent in this evening memory:
I'm sending you a sunset picture at Folk Fest several years ago. It is a picture with my neighbours and friends Rachel, Suzana and Me. We had just danced on the grass listening to the amazing bands on stage and we took a little stroll to the beach to watch the sunset when a stranger asked to take our picture.
The result was this beauty shot! I framed it to remind me of summer nights at Folk Fest !
Colourful characters
Dannielle Hayes submitted three great shots:
I was covering Folk Fest for Tourism Vancouver as a contract photographer in 2006. However, I had a stroke in 2010 and am now disabled. I still shoot and write, albeit from a wheelchair perspective.
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival starts Friday, July 19 and runs until Sunday, July 21 at Jericho Beach Park on Vancouver's west side.
The Early Edition