FESTIVAL FRENZY! 37TH ANNUAL VANCOUVER FOLK FESTIVAL


Get out the Birkenstock’s and your favorite tie-dye T’ and hit the Folk Festival this weekend!

This weekend is supposed to be a hot sunny scorcher of a weekend and what better way to spend it then at the 37th Annual Vancouver Folk Festival at Jericho Beach!? This festival draws some of the top performers in Folk Music from around the world and the best our country has to offer as well as 38’000 visitors!  With a line up like this year – it’s hard to see doing anything else this weekend!

Here is a quick overview of the acts that will start gracing the stage starting July 18th. I lifted the bio’s from the festival's Bio’s page (then embellished as I saw fit :+}) below to give you a quick overview of just a FEW of the acts that will be playing for our pleasure this weekend!

Joan Baez WHAT!!! Joan Baez!!
•    A musical force of nature with an incalculable influence on both the music and the politics of our era.
Ashleigh Flynn & the Back Porch Majority
•    True blue Americana music – folk, blues, country and rock – crafted by a gifted songwriter.
Great Lake Swimmers (Canada’s Answer to the Black Keys…just saying)
•    Singular vocals, insightful lyrics, deceptively simple and hook-laden folk rock tunes; one of Canada’s fave bands.
Mary Lambert (I have seen this gal, and she is just a must see)
•    An articulate, confident, and outspoken voice – one of the best new and vital forces on the music scene today.
Amos Lee (WORTH going just for this man)
•    Lee crosses through soul and country to funk and folk with emotionally-charged, songs that pluck at your heart.
Mokoomba
•    “The new hotshots of pan-African funkiness” (Songlines Magazine, UK)
Noura Mint Seymali (uh, COOL!)
•    Seymali’s melodies weave a seductive desert-blues fusion.
Leonard Sumner
•    A hip-hop/rap, country and rhythm & blues fusion, with insightful poetry “straight from the Rez.”

For a full list of artists as well as line-up times and dates please see their web-site at:
http://thefestival.bc.ca/

There is truly something for everyone, a true celebration of multiculturalism at its finest. Artists from as far afield as Africa and Australia, as well as our own Native community and every other region of this fine land. Soul filled southern bells, gutsy blues artists, and dark melody’s mixing with the lighter notes of sweet sultry voices. A weekend that has become one of the most looked forward to events of the year here in the lower mainland. Often thought to be a 420 event, it has become a highly respected and well attended festival. Thoughtfully thought out, with loads of parking options, maps, bathroom facilities, EMT’s on site and a ton of great food vendors, and well, maybe a wee bit of the 420 action. I mean this IS BC!

Speaking of thoughtful planning there is also a location for families to have some assistance with their wee folk fans in an area called Little Folks Village - where the little darlings not only get to submerged in some serious music culture but have a whole area just for them! In the Little Folks Village they can create all kinds of unique crafts and experience lots of new and interesting things. Fully manned and supervised by a whole crew of wonderful volunteers. Don’t worry parents – you can join your kids in the fun to! Kids get into the festival for free when joined by a paying adult (12 and under) some of the highlights will be hula hoop lessons (sign me up!) puppet events, a parade where your kids can dress up and be a part of as well as some ecology crafts and learning and so much more. This makes the Folk Fest a real family friendly event.  Do note that there will not be any Little Folks Village events scheduled for the Friday night.

But if family fun wasn’t quite on the agenda there is also a load of fun for the grownups to enjoy. There will be over 30 Food Vendors to enjoy (a mini food truck festival!) as well as artisan stands and of course drink options. There are re-usable plates and utensils to buy for a small fee, compost and recycling EVERYWHERE and making us aware of our consumption. Even the Big Rock Brewing Company – host of the ever popular beer garden has gone green and provides Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) beer cups.

So get out the picnic basket, and fill it with goodies to devour and share. Stake your claim with your chairs, and blankets and enjoy this soul filled weekend.

Music does the body good.

Stay tuned – in the next few posts it is all about Festival season! Sunscreen People!

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