Winnipeg Folk Festival

The Winnipeg Folk Festival is a summer folk music festival held at Birds Hill Provincial Park, near Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is organized by a year-round arts organization of the same name that aims to create experiences of discovery and learning through the celebration of music and people.

The first Winnipeg Folk Festival was organized in 1974 by Mitch Podolak, Ava Kobrinsky and Colin Gorrie as part of the Winnipeg centennial celebration. The event was a success so it was decided to hold it annually. The festival is held on the second weekend of July, beginning on Wednesday and running through Sunday. What started as a relatively modest local event has grown to become a large music festival with an attendance of over 80,000. The festival is run with the help of about 3,000 volunteers and generates over $29 million per year in economic activity.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival encompasses a variety of music genres and styles, including bluegrass, French Canadian, old time, gospel, folk rock, Americana, roots, blues, world, Celtic, and contemporary singers-songwriters. There are nine stages at the festival, including the Chickadee Big Top stage in the Family Area reserved for children’s music and special activities and attractions for kids.

Alongside big and smaller, more intimate concerts, the program of the Winnipeg Folk Festival features workshops, the Food Village, the Hand-Made Village, and the Prairie Outdoor Exhibition. The festival’s Food Village is noted for its emphasis on local, organic, and fair trade ingredients. The Hand-Made Village showcases work by artisans from Canada and the United States, focusing on showcasing local talent. The Prairie Outdoor Exhibition is an outdoor art gallery across the festival grounds featuring a variety of exciting installations.

There are different accommodation options available in Winnipeg, but most festival-goers prefer to camp. The Winnipeg Folk Festival operates two un-serviced camping sites, the Festival and Quiet Campgrounds. The Festival Campground is for those who want to keep on having fun when the concerts are over for the day. It is known for its impromptu jam sessions and late night animation. The Quiet Campground is located 4 km away from the festival site. It is a perfect place for those who want to take a good night’s rest and prefer peace and quiet.

In 2020, the event was held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.