Quiet Campground
Nearly 2,000 families and friends camp in tents and RVs in the Quiet Campground. This campground is recommended for those who prefer peace and quiet at night. Quiet time is in effect from 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM to ensure restful sleeps.
The Campground Ethos
- Take care of yourself and your friends;
- Leave no trace;
- Be a good neighbours!
Arriving on Wednesday – Patience Please!
The West Gate of Birds Hill Provincial Park opens at 7:00 AM on Wednesday, July 4, 2012. If you arrive before 7:00 AM you’ll be turned away and you won’t be allowed to line-up along Hwy 59 so please cooperate with us and don’t arrive before 7:00 AM – that’s when we’ll be ready to welcome you!
The East Gate, located off of Hwy 206 will be closed until the campground rush is finished. It will open sometime mid-morning on Wednesday.
The Quiet Campground box office opens at 8:00 AM. Park employees, festival staff and volunteers do their best to get everyone in as quickly as possible, but there will likely be a line-up depending on when you arrive. Be prepared to wait a while.
Parking is first-come, first-serve, and there is ample parking for everyone. Some spots are further away, so be prepared for a walk, and consider bringing a wagon to help carry your stuff.
What to Bring – and What Not to Bring
What you should bring:
- tarp and rain gear;
- blanket or a low chair;
- a bike (to get to and from the festival site);
- water bottle, water jugs (there’ plenty of potable water available)
- flashlight and extra batteries;
- sunscreen and bug spray;
- a hat for sun protection;
- and shoes – comfortable ones!;
- an alarm clock (so you don’t miss that workshop you’ve been waiting to see!)
What NOT to bring:
- no fireworks, fire sticks or fire batons;
- no fires allowed outside designated fire pits;
- no pets;
- no household furniture;
- no amplified music;
- no unauthorized distribution of printed materials;
- no commercial vending;
- no glass (this includes beer and liquor bottles);
- no burning or collecting scavenged wood;
- no generators.
Quiet Campground Services
The Quiet Campground has flush toilets, outhouses, water taps, picnic tables and fire pits for communal use. This year we are pleased to offer ice and firewood delivery! Look for the delivery trucks as they visit each zone between 8-9 AND and 5-6 PM daily.
There are shared electrical outlets under each communal park shelter. Please do not leave cell phones or batteries unattended. This is the only location for electricity is in the Quiet Campground.
Campers are welcome to use the coin-shower and coin-laundry facilities at the Birds Hill Provincial Park Campground. Take the free shuttle to the shower! Schedules are available at the Quiet Campground entrance. There is plenty of room for RVs in the Quiet Campground and no vehicle pass is required.
RV Camping
Zone 6A is designated as Quiet Campground RV area. Volunteers will direct all RVs to this great RV camping area.
FREE Shuttle to the Festival – Every 30 Minutes
Help us reduce our carbon footprint by leaving your vehicle parked and walking to the festival site, ride your bike, or take the free Campground Shuttle.
Wednesday and Thursday: 5 PM –1 AM
Friday and Saturday: 10 AM – 1 AM
Sunday: 10 AM – Midnight
The Campground Shuttle leaves every half-hour from marked bus stops along the trailhead paths, from all three campgrounds to the festival site. Schedules are available at Quiet Campground Box Office, Audience Services (on festival site) and posted at bus stops.
Safety
Everyone is expected to help create a safe and respectful culture at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and in our campgrounds. Please remember that you are responsible for yourself at all times, and if you haven’t already done so, read through these guidelines relating to public safety, and community well being.
During the festival, Safety Volunteers, professional security, and park officers patrol the festival campgrounds and site. Please be respectful and show your wristband as you walk by the checkpoints. If you see someone acting irresponsibly or requiring first aid assistance, please contact a Safety volunteer (the folks in the blue reflective vests) or call Quiet Campground Safety HQ at 204-222-1920. In the event of an emergency, call 911 first.
Conscious Camping
Respect Mother Nature and help us continue the festival’s legacy of eco-consciousness. Pack out everything you brought in and leave only your footprints. Garbage and recycling facilities are available in each campground zone. Click here for more tips and hints on how you can keep your campsite clean and green!
Take Care of Yourself
- Drink alcohol in moderation;
- Stay hydrated with plenty of water. By the time you feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrating. Water taps are marked with blue banners throughout the campground.
- Poison Ivy grows in wooded areas throughout the park – the best way to avoid it is to stay on marked trails.
- Wear something on your feet! Sandals, clogs or runners, it’s all good! Last year nearly 25% of all the folks who needed first aid had some kind of problem due to not wearing proper (or any!) footwear. Bring your most comfortable footwear – because new footwear can lead to blisters, which may make your festival experience unnecessarily painful.
- Come prepared for the weather – sun protection (hat, sunscreen) rain gear (slicker, rubber boots), and warm clothes (jacket, socks).
- Eat well. Enjoy well-balanced meals throughout the day. Remember to bring enough money for all of the delicious, local, organic and fair trade food!
- Use the buddy system. Stick together and look out for each other.
- Don’t leave valuables in your tent.
- Be good to yourself and to each other. Continue the Winnipeg Folk Festival tradition and legacy of being respectful, caring, kind and gentle with your camping community.
Orient Yourself!
- Acquaint yourself with the campground when you arrive. Check the locations of bathrooms, pathways and landmarks – the campground looks very different at night.