Organizers hope for big turnout as 52nd annual Regina Folk Festival kicks off

A sense of excitement was palpable throughout Victoria Park in Regina Friday morning. Smiling volunteers spread out across the grounds, as crews set up tents and prepped stages.

The beloved Regina Folk Festival is back. 

Organizers said they know how important the festival has been to people and families in the community for the last 52 years. 

"This is really a part of people's lives. These events that we hold become sort of benchmarks. They help us to remember different important parts of our life. There's been generations of families and neighbours coming together and joining us here and celebrating music," said Amber Goodwyn, the festival's artistic director.

"So for us, it's just really important to celebrate and to preserve and protect the beauty of what the festival is, which is a place for people to meet, see each other, to make new memories, to listen to some great music and to counterbalance the challenging things in our lives."

While volunteers and organizers are excited to see each other and the community come together and enjoy three days of music, it's a bittersweet time. 

Back in June, the Regina Folk Festival asked the community for help in keeping the summer event alive, saying it is in a "serious financial crisis."

The festival said a variety of economic challenges have accumulated over several years, including increased expenses, stagnant funding, decreased sponsorship and reduced ticket sales. 

Two months later, organizers are hoping for a stellar turnout during the weekend. 

"We found that the community really responded in a very encouraging way to the RFF coming forward with urgent messaging, which is pretty great," said Leo Keiser, who was recently named the festival's executive director.

"Things are not quite where performing arts in Saskatchewan is used to just yet, but we're encouraged by the progress that we've made so far and we're looking forward to continuing to make gains throughout the weekend on that."

Goodwyn said it's been a challenging year, although throwing themselves into festival production has helped. 

"But we have to see what the numbers are like this weekend and we need to do a deep review this fall to see what the future holds for us. So we can't really say what the plans are yet, but our strategic review is what our next step is this fall."

Together in harmony

The theme this year is Web of Life: music and community in harmony with the Earth. The theme is in line with the festival's goals to address the climate emergency. 

"We're supporting the groups and musicians who are bringing light to that major concern of our time in the interest of combating climate dread. We want people to party this weekend, but we also want to have people think about how music, community and partying impact this world and how it all is connected together and does not need to be separate," said Goodwyn.

The festival kicked off on Friday with a concert from "Songs 4 Nature," a Royal Saskatchewan Museum program that gives emerging and established artists a chance to create original, nature-inspired songs. 

"I think nature inspires a lot of songwriting, and not just through our program. So it's either in some of the images that are captured or something happens that inspires and brings up an old memory. It really emerges in lots of different ways," said program co-ordinator Glenn Sutter.

Sutter said he loves the folk festival, and has been attending ever since he moved to Regina in 1992. 

"It's a wonderful community event that brings people together around a common love of music. And this year, with the theme being Web of Life, there's nothing more important than looking after the web of life that we're all part of and we all depend on."

In addition to various locals acts, food and activities for all ages, the Regina Folk Festival has booked some musical favourites for its headlining shows. Those include The Strumbellas, The Halluci Nation, Allison Russell Weather Station and Shad.

The festival runs through to Sunday evening.