The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a summer folk music festival held in Birds Hill Provincial Park, near Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It features a variety of folk artists from around the world, as well as a number of local artists.
Begun by Mitch Podolak, Colin Gorrie and Ava Kobrinsky in 1974 [1] to celebrate Winnipeg's centennial, the Winnipeg Folk Festival has grown into a world-class event that attracts crowds of 70,000 throughout the 5 days each year. The festival is held over the second weekend of July, beginning on Wednesday night and running through Sunday night.
There is a large variety of music to be experienced each year, including bluegrass, Celtic, world, blues, roots, Indie folk, Americana, folk rock, gospel, old time, French Canadian, contemporary singer-songwriters, and children's performers.
A diverse Food Village offers a large variety of cuisine with an emphasis on local, organic and fair trade ingredients. All meals are served on reusable plates, diverting over 100,000 paper plates from landfills each year. The Hand-Made Village celebrates the long-standing history that folk art and crafts share with folk music festivals and features artisans from all over Canada and the United States.
Performances during the day are held at several smaller stages where performers are presented in thematic concerts and workshops resulting in very intimate performances. The stages are named Big Bluestem, Little Stage on the Prairie, Bur Oak, Green Ash, Snowberry Field, Shady Grove, Chickadee (children's stage), and the Northern Lights Main Stage.
Camping is a popular way to experience the Winnipeg Folk Festival, and the festival operates two unserviced campgrounds: The Festival Campground which is know for its late night animation and jams, and the Quiet Campground located 4km from the festival site. Camping is also available at the Birds Hill Provincial Park Campground. A free shuttle service operates between all campgrounds and the festival site.
The festival relies on commitment and dedication of over 2,600 volunteers who come together each year with a common goal - to make the Winnipeg Folk Festival the most memorable experience of the year.