Calgary Folk Festival returns with a focus on inclusivity and community building

Calgarians know it's festival season when the temperatures start soaring and there's an undeniable buzz in the air as the city gets ready for energetic music performances in packed venues. 

The 44th edition of the Calgary Folk Music Festival is back with a promising lineup that includes acclaimed singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris, Jeff Tweedy, Julia Jacklin, Tanya Tucker, Aysanabee, and more.

The four-day event will kick off at Prince's Island Park on Thursday and will feature 70 artists from Canada and around the world.

Attendees will be able to choose from five stages during the day and two stages in the evenings.

The eclectic lineup covers multiple genres of music like folk, hip-hop, jazz, reggae, blues, and country.

"If you think, 'oh, I don't like folk music,' it's not just folk music. It's folk because of how we treat people because it's egalitarian," said artistic director Kerry Clarke.

"You get your spot on the grass. You can also get close to the stage [and] you can wander between stages. You get to see artists up close."

An 'audience-focused' event

Clarke believes that what sets the festival apart is that it is "audience-focused" and attempts to cater to everyone's needs by making drinking water and multiple food options easily accessible.

Portable toilets are also easy to find at the venue, something that may seem obvious at first but is a crucial part of the concert experience, according to Clarke.

"It seems weird to talk about porta-potties, but really, you see sometimes that there can be great music programmed at a festival and all people are talking about is the porta-potties because they couldn't get in," she said.

"And so that's not us. [We focus on creating] just really beautiful, welcoming, open environment."

Clarke believes the folk festival is the perfect weekend getaway and is an "oasis in the middle of the city" for those looking to unwind with their loved ones.

According to Sara Leishman, executive director of the festival, this year's edition looks promising with strong ticket sales — the team is expecting to host over 50,000 attendees on the island.

The festival will also feature 25 vendors and several food stalls this year.

"What we want to do is try and prioritize local vendors and local business. That's a really important thing for us," Leishman said.

"We really pride ourselves on local connections, local sponsorship and local community building."

Accessible options available

Multiple accessible options are available for attendees. Visitors can access reduced-price tickets and request a free ticket for a caregiver.

There's also accessible seating available at the venue, and festival-goers with reduced mobility can ask for assistance to reach the seating area.

"I think that what we try to do is really be a community event and a community builder that happens to be packaged up in the form of a music festival," said Leishman.  

"Experiencing the Calgary Folk Festival is being able to connect with your community, being able to sit and hang out with friends, have a visit [or] have a catch up… and really just be part of the vibe."

Visitors will have the opportunity to set up tarps in their preferred locations based on availability.

Because the festival has a full-site liquor licence, attendees are allowed to wander throughout with their beverages, which can be purchased from two Big Rock bar areas, as well an Eau Claire Distillery Outpost.

Over 1,700 volunteers have signed up for the festival and are involved in a variety of activities including setting up the festival site, taking control of the eco-initiatives program, managing the stages, and more. 

'Built on volunteer grit'

Leishman doesn't underestimate the importance of volunteers in making the folk music festival a success.

"This organization was built purely on volunteer grit," she said.

"I think it wasn't until we were at 10 plus years in that we had our first paid employee … it started out with people that were passionate about music and passionate about doing something together."