What makes Edmonton Folk Fest so great?

Since 1980, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has brought music lovers together on the slope of Gallagher Hill. Now a storied Edmonton tradition, the festival brings in roughly 100,000 people over the course of its long weekend. Not a native Edmontonian myself, last week I attended the festival for the first time.

I knew the event was well-loved, but I had no idea to what degree. Not only was every single person there delighted to be so, there was an unmistakeable feeling of community enveloping the festival. It felt as though the entire hill had been sprinkled with a mutual feeling of kindness and compassion. I was so taken by the atmosphere, I decided to speak to some of the festival-goers about their experiences. The primary question I asked was: what makes Folk Fest so great?

“Everyone’s so nice,” said Al, a festival attendee of six years. “Everyone’s so outgoing,” he continued, “the atmosphere just shows what, really, Edmonton is.”

Al comes from a background in house music and EDM, so for him, Folk Fest is a “nice change.” He enjoys the calm, welcoming energy, saying that coming to the festival “changed [his] whole life.” Folk Fest brings opportunities to open oneself up and experience different things.

Al mentioned that his favourite memory of the festival was from last year, when he got to hear his favourite song, “Dirty Love” by Mount Joy, live. During the song, it started raining, and even though Al “hate[s] the rain,” he was right there with everyone, dancing and taking in the music.

“It’s really family-friendly and I love it,” Izabella says

Edmonton Folk Fest is often a family affair. I saw scores of children running around the grounds, many eagerly trying to glean dirty plates from adults in an attempt to make a buck at the dish-return station. I spoke to Izabella, a University of Alberta alum and mother of 10-year-old Charles, about her experience at the festival. Izabella has been attending Folk Fest for 11 years, and bringing Charles with her for the last three.

Izabella was sold the very first year she came, when her future husband brought her to see Tracy Chapman perform. “It brought me to tears, how amazing of a performance it was,” she said. “It was transformational … we’ve been … big fan[s] ever since.”

Izabella expressed that “the power of community” is her favourite thing about the festival. “All the people that come to Folk Fest have a very similar mindset and we all want to help one another,” she said. “It’s really family-friendly and I love it.”

When asked about his favourite part of the festival, Charles echoed his mother, telling me that “the best thing about Folk Fest is definitely spending time with family.”

“I think … in life, you have to be prepared for a lot of things, and I don’t think you have to be that prepared for Folk Fest,” volunteer Madelaine says

Izabella also pointed to the volunteers as a big part of the event’s impact. Every year, Folk Fest has roughly 2,600 volunteers who assist in set-up, hospitality, patron services, and so much more. I spoke to a volunteer, Madelaine, to get her perspective on the event.

Folk Fest has been a part of Madelaine’s life for as long as she can remember. “I have been coming to Folk Fest since birth, and I’ve only missed a few years since,” she said. She’s been volunteering since she was 12, the youngest a volunteer can be.

Growing up around the festival, Madelaine spoke of how her experiences there have shaped her as a person. She recounted one of her fondest memories, from when she was around 14 and saw Michael Franti perform. “I grew up listening to his CD,” she said, despite the fact that her mom “is not a fan of Michael Franti.” So when it came time for him to perform, Madelaine’s mom left her to get the car, leaving her alone to enjoy his music.

“I got to hear all of these songs that I’ve … grown up hearing in my kitchen, and I got to do it alone,” she said. “I feel like it was kind of … a representation of … gaining independence and learning to just enjoy things by yourself … even if the people around you have different feelings.”

When asked about her favourite part of the festival, Madelaine said “I think … in life, you have to be prepared for a lot of things, and I don’t think you have to be that prepared for Folk Fest.” The beauty of the event, to her, lies in its inherent casualness and relaxed environment.

“You don’t need to set expectations,” she stated, “you will always have a good time, and walk away with like, at least, five new artists that you’re going to listen to for the rest of the summer.” And, she emphasized, “if you’re … ill-prepared, someone will help you.”

Based on my field research, I’ve determined that there are a number of things that make Edmonton Folk Fest great, but the number one reason that stands out is obvious: community. You will not find an event that is more loving, welcoming, and community-oriented than Folk Fest in Edmonton. See you on the hill next year!