BeatRoute Magazine Alberta print e-edition - July 2017

ROOTS
2017 SUMMER FOLK FEST GUIDE
folk em if ya got em
South Country Fair
It’s a festival with camping so sought after, folks
volunteer half hours AND pay for a ticket, just for
the privilege of priority camping. If you’ve got bug
spray in hand and some dry shampoo, you can
make this a weekend to remember. It’s as much a
community event as a music festival, so in addition
to artists like Winnipeg raconteur William Prince,
Edmonton blues kid Joe Nolan & the Dogs, and
Calgary’s Wonder Woman Mariel Buckley, there’s
circus acts, artisans, and spoken word.
Edmonton Folk Music Festival
It’s all about the main stage. With a natural amphitheatre
in the heart of Edmonton, their folk fest
fits quite a few more than Calgary’s. Tarp culture is
strong, and their convoluted-but-charming baseball
diamond ticket sale proves it. It’s a beautiful
site with tons of sun, friends, and opportunities
to see music. The site is so big, you have to plan
ahead, but there are tons of amazing artists this
year including Leon Bridges, Valerie June, The Decemberists,
Shakey Graves, and Rhiannon Giddens,
and that’s just the mainstage.
Winnipeg Folk Music Festival
You must leave Winnipeg a bit to get to this one,
but the bus trip is well worth it, and you might
make some friends along the way. Like Winnipeg
itself, it’s a little freaky. Indies like The Shins and
Feist share the mainstage with the folkies like
Bruce Cockburn, and because they aren’t worried
about ticking off urban neighbors, they go late
with dance acts at the end of the night like DakhaBrakha
and Mbongwana Star. Daytime stages
are a beautiful tree-lined walk from each other, and
the food is pretty special. There’s so much space at
WFMF, it’s the perfect festival for the introvert in
all of us.
Wild Mountain Festival
Wild Mountain is small but mighty. Taking place
at the Entrance Ranch north of Hinton, Alberta,
it sits in the part of the foothills that’s mostly
only frequented by Edmontonians. It’s a camping
festival much akin to its northerly neighbor North
Country Fair. What sets it apart is its loudness. This
year it features some of the biggest guitarists north
of the 49th parallel including blues legend David
Wilcox, Can-Rock veterans 54-40, the man with
the voice Matt Andersen, and The Guess Who’s
own Randy Bachman.
words and photo: Liam Prost
ArtsWells
Somehow, they turn a small town into a bustling
hub of art and music. Everyone is involved, and
I mean everyone. Wells B.C. becomes a hippie
haven, hosting music, visual, and artisanal
offerings from across Canada. People’s houses
and public squares become stages for artists like
Corin Raymond, Oh Susanna, Rae Spoon, and Wax
Mannequin.
Tiny Lights
You might know the area better by its association
with the beat-fueled party-fest Shambhala. Tiny
Lights is a vastly under represented community
festival in a beautiful space full of amazing artists,
a lot of which you won’t see at other folk fests this
summer. Check out husband and wife troubadours
Pharis and Jason Romero, as well as full bands
like Edmonton’s Post Script and Scenic Route to
Alaska.
Canmore Folk Music Festival
There’s no alcohol on site, except at the notorious
pub stage, so this festival is all about the music.
Downtown Canmore is a perfect host, any songwriter
gains gravitas with Mount Rundle looming
in the background. This year sees folkie favorites
like Whitehorse and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings
next to crowd pleasers like The Steel Wheels and
Birds of Chicago. It’s the most relaxing Folk Fest
of them all, and there’s some great community
support, including some unofficial house concerts
featuring locals.
ROOTS
BEATROUTE • JULY 2017 | 33