If you are regular visitor to winnipegfolkfestival.ca, you’ll notice that we’ve just launched a new site. It has lots of neat new features, but we may still be working out a few kinks. If you experience technical difficulties with the new site, please email the webmaster.
2008 January Archive
| February 6, 2008 | ||
| 3:30 pm | to | 5:30 pm |
The Winnipeg Folk Festival has developed a Site Master Plan that identifies opportunities for improvements to our Festival site. We are interested in sharing these ideas with you and welcome feedback and discussion.
Please drop by our Open House at 211 Bannatyne Avenue (downstairs at The Folk Exchange) to be one of the first to visualize what the “Festival of the Future” might look like.
Wednesday February 6th
3:30 pm to 5:30 pm
If you are interested in providing feedback but are unable to attend, please email Cheryl Sluis to set up an appointment. csluis@winnipegfolkfestival.ca
Download PDF here.
inviteforopenhouse.pdf
The Acorn
Playing at the 2008 Winnipeg Folk Festival: Ottawa-based The Acorn, an alt-folk outfit that started out in 2003 as a computer-accompanied solo project of Rolf Klausener, and blossomed into a band in 2004. The Acorn’s most recent album, Glory Hope Mountain, tells the story of Klausner’s mother, who grew up in Honduras and came to Canada in 1972; the project is themed on the hardships and trials of her life, and took two years to complete. In addition to hours of interviews with his mom, extensive ethnomusicological research into Honduran and Nicaraguan music also went into the album’s background, resulting in some instrumentation that wasn’t on their previous records—like ukulele and marimba. But that was no sweat for the band’s accomplished multi-instrumentalists. The Acorn’s sound is often described with words like “melancholy” or “atmospheric,” but they’ve proven their music can span everything from the electronic to the traditional. They’ve shared the stage with many of what they called their “favourite bands,” including Elliott Brood, the Great Lake Swimmers, Jim Bryson, the robot ate me, The Wooden Stars, Ohbijou, and many more.
Peek at The Acorn’s music here and then come out to hear them live at the 2008 Fest!
“[The Acorn} pushes the boundaries between lyricism and storytelling, individual desires and collaboration.” – Exclaim!
 Jim Bynes and the Sojourners |
Hailing originally from St. Louis, long-time Vancouver-based actor and bluesman Jim Byrnes was often the only white guy in the audience at the blues clubs he frequented as a teen. “We never had any problems,” he says on his website, “We were too naïve, too innocent, and had too much respect for the music and the culture - they knew it, they could tell.”
Byrnes lost both his legs in a traffic accident—he was pushing a truck when another vehicle hit him from behind—but that didn’t stop him from pursuing two spectacular careers in music and acting. Far from it. He started up the Jim Byrnes Band, a blues group, in 1981, and in 1996 he won the blues/gospel Juno award. Devotees of Highlander will definitely remember him from the “next-generation” Highlander TV show and the most recent Highlander, film, The Source.
In Vancouver Byrnes met up with three other U.S. expat musicians, singers Marcus Mosely, Will Sanders, and Ron Small, a.k.a The Sojourners, who joined Byrnes on his most recent, gospel-tinged album House of Refuge. But whether it’s blues, gospel, soul, or all three, Byrnes’ charisma and gravelly voice backed up by The Sojourners stunning harmonies always get the people on their feet.
See them perform at the 2008 Winnipeg Folk Festival!
Links
The Food Village in 2006. Photo by Rosalyn Dennet |
Thank you for your interest in participating in the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The Festival has an annual attendance of over 45,000 and takes place in Birds Hill Provincial Park. About 20 food concessions operate from 5:00 pm - 12:00 am Thursday and 10:00 am - 12:00 am Friday to Sunday.
Applications for the 2009 Festival will be accepted until February 13th.
New in 2008: We will feature and promote “sustainable” food choices at the Festival. Please indicate if any of your menu items feature local (produced in Manitoba), certified organic or fair trade ingredients or consider adding something new to your menu! See 100milemanitoba.org and fairtrademanitoba.ca for more information.
Concessions
Booths
Booths are 10’x15’ wooden structures with a ceiling and asphalt pad, no walls. A 10′ x 10′ tent is erected in front of the booth, meaning that the total space provided is 10’x25’, with the 10’ side being the serving area. Booth spaces include access to water, 30-50 amps of electricity and serving counter. Vendors who prefer to bring their own booth will be considered, space permitting. Equipment for food preparation, materials for display, lighting and weatherproofing are your responsibility. Keep in mind that we are an outdoor event.
Fee: $3300.00 plus G.S.T. Deposit of $660 is required with application.
Carts/Tents
Specify size of cart/tent, electricity and plumbing requirements. Electricity and plumbing may not be available, self-contained units preferable.
Fee: Varies depending on size and menu. Deposit of $660 is required with application.
Concession fees include a limited number of festival and parking passes for employees.
Beverage Sales
Beverage sales are limited by sponsor agreements or distribution arrangements made by the Winnipeg Folk Festival. Please submit a list of beverages you would like to sell along with your menu for consideration.
SELECTION
Our primary basis for selection is the quality of your menu. Other important considerations are:
- Technical feasibility and electrical requirements.
- Overall menu balance of the Festival.
- The look of your booth or vending outlet.
- Previous history with the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
- Inclusion of Local, Organic & Fair Trade ingredients.
- Experience with festivals and events.
- The professional nature of your application. Vendor Application Form(PDF).
The deadline to apply is February 13. Selection decisions are final.
If you have any questions, please contact production@winnipegfolkfestival.ca or (204) 231-0096. More detailed information is available upon request. We look forward to receiving your application.
Call for Submissions
 Lipton Street Studio Batik - Karen Johannson 2008 |
Hand-Made Village
* Deadline to apply is Sunday February 1st at midnight.
We will accept applications dropped off in person during the following hours:
WFF Office Monday - Friday, 9am-5pm, 203-211 Bannatyne
Music Store Tuesday - Saturday, 11am-6p, 103-211 Bannatyne
We will accept emailed and faxed submissions until Sunday at midnight.
We will accept mailed submissions post-dated Feb 1st.
Applications
The Winnipeg Folk Festival takes place July 9-12, 2009. This annual outdoor event features the handmade work of up to 50 artisans. Click here for a list of who exhibited in 2008.
Interest is invited and sincerely encouraged from artisans across Canada. This is an excellent opportunity to sell your work and gain exposure. Over 45,000 people attend each year.
Criteria and Selection:
The Hand-Made Village features artisans who design and produce their own work. Our primary basis for selection is the overall originality, aesthetics and quality of the work. Other important considerations are the professional presentation of your application and the overall balance of work in the show. All applications must include high quality photos or samples of your work for the selection committee. Please note that there is a new committee every year. The application deadline is February 1st. Committee decisions are final.
Fees and Services:
The fee to participate is $357.00 incl gst. Fee includes 1 pass to the Festival, promotion in our program book and on our website, overnight storage, and a 10′x10′ booth space. Passes for additional artisans or assistants are available for purchase. Booth spaces provided are partitioned within larger tent structures, and include a ceiling, three tent sides, and no floor. Materials for display and weatherproofing are your responsibility. Keep in mind that we are an outdoor event. Sale hours are 10:00am-7:00pm Friday to Sunday.
How to Apply:
Applications must be submitted by February 1st, 2009 and include:
- Completed application form. Click here to download .pdf
- Good quality photographs or samples of your work. The WFF assumes no responsibility for loss or damage to sample items.
- Payment of $357.00 by cheque, cash, Visa or MasterCard. Accepted applicants’ payments will be processed after they have been notified of acceptance. Payments will be returned to applicants who are not accepted.
- A description of how the items are made.
- A complete list of items you wish to sell. Only approved items may be sold.
- A photograph or sketch of your display.
- Résumé of your related experience, education, shows, awards, etc.
- Self-addressed stamped envelope (if you would like your materials returned).
If you have any questions, please contact us at production@winnipegfolkfestival.ca or (204) 231-0096. We look forward to receiving your application.
The Winnipeg Folk Festival welcomes Martha Scanlan to the 2008 event! Scanlan first came to prominence as a songwriter and vocalist with The Reeltime Travellers, the celebrated old-time string band that was invited on the Down from the Mountain Tour and played on the Cold Mountain soundtrack. Her first solo album, The West Was Burning (released a year ago), showcases her unforgettable, award-winning songwriting, her love affair with the American West, and her mastery of the American traditional music idiom.
 Photo by Yogesh Simpson. |
“I don’t want to say what my songs are about,” she says. “The thing is, they change so much when I play them and interact with people; they end up being about different things. At the same time, I feel like each one is a painting of a particular place and time, like an image I have of snow falling …”
Originally from Minnesota, Scanlan divides her time between Montana, the landscape of which forms the backdrop to The West Was Burning, and East Tennessee, where she immersed herself in the Appalachian music tradition.
Help us welcome Martha Scanlan in her first appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival!
Links
“Almost as if her concerts were time warps back to by-gone eras like the 30’s, Walton’s talented piano playing and songwriting are reminiscent of old, crackly jazz records as well as contemporaries like Rufus Wainwright.”
-NXNE Music Festival 2007Folk Exchange events start at 8 pm, doors open at 7 pm.
Tickets are available at the door or in advance at the Festival Music Store at 211 Bannatyne Avenue. Call the Music Store at 231-1377 for more information.
Three Nights Only!
January 18, 19, 20
Show 8 pm Doors 7:30
$4 at the door
Come down to The Folk Exchange at 211 Bannatyne for a chance to hear past participants in the Winnipeg Folk Festival’s Young Performers Program! Learn more - list of performers here.
All folk festival volunteers have one. That utterly euphoric musical moment
when they know there’s no where on earth they’d rather be. For Karen Dana, a
festival volunteer for 31 years, it’s an afternoon main stage performance by
Pete Seeger.
See Full Article here.
| March 29, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 11:00 pm |
The Winnipeg Folk Festival Concert Series is proud to present
An Evening With
Hawksley Workman
March 29, 2008
Burton Cummings Theatre
8 PM (doors 7 PM)
Tickets $25/$30 (plus fees)
at the Festival Music Store (211 Bannatyne Ave.)
or at Ticketmaster: 780-3333 or ticketmaster.ca
Click here to purchase tickets.
Hawksley Workman, poet, producer, and peerless performer, has been a critical fave since his 1999 debut, evolving from the slight, pin-striped oddball with an acclaimed diamond voice, to the panoramic, guitar-punishing superstar with no performance limits. Catch him live to luxuriate in songs from his upcoming album, Between the Beautifuls— released this January 29, 2008 —and also to hear music from his catalogue of ten albums.
| February 13, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 11:00 pm |
Two concerts in one night! It’s a double bill at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Concert series–while Xavier Rudd is over at the Burt, Ruthie Foster will be blowing us away at the Garrick Centre.
Ruthie Foster
February 13, The Garrick Centre
Tickets $26.50/$31.80
Co-presented with the West End Cultural Centre
| February 8, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 11:00 pm |
Next in the Concert Series:
Compadres Feb. 8 @ the Pantages
New! Listen to their Calgary concert on CBC Radio 2!
Winnipeg Folk Festival Concert Series presents
Compadres
Featuring
James Keelaghan & Oscar Lopez
Friday, Feb. 8, 2008
Pantages Playhouse Theatre
Doors: 7:00 Show:8:00
Tickets - $32.50 plus fees at Ticketmaster
& the Folk Fest Music Store, 231-1377
Tickets here
| February 15, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 11:00 pm |
Mira Black @ The Folk Exchange February 15
Mira Black uses elements from many diverse genres to please her audience. This versatile band is complimented by Mira’s soulful, emotive, five octave range. Her band consists of some of Canada’s top jazz players who are devoting their talent, skills and education to bring elements of jazz, funk, pop and world rhythms into an accessible and contemporary forum.
Mira Black, accompanied at this “intimate and interactive” show by Gilles Fournier, Scott Senior, Brian Zimmerman, will be singing songs from the “Broken Hearts Collection:”
“I’ve been collecting songs from local singer songwritters my whole life,” she says, “those songs that manage to break my heart as I hear the moment it is intented to convey.”
Tickets $10 advance, $12 at the door.
Folk Exchange events start at 8 pm, doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at the Festival Music Store at 211 Bannatyne Avenue. Call the Music Store at 231-1377 for more information.
Check out Mira Black’s MySpace page.
Updated Jan. 15, 2008
| March 7, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 11:00 pm |
Jacob & Lily @ The Folk Exchange March 7
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is pleased to present Jacob & Lily, Best New/Emerging Artist Nominees at the 2007 Canadian Folk Music Awards, on March 7, Live @ The Folk Exchange.
“Jacob & Lily have realised less is more and the result is a sense of musical communion that may well be overpowering when heard live.” – John Kendle, Uptown magazine
$12 Advance / $15 at the door. Advance tickets at the Festival Music Store. Show 8 pm, doors at 7.
New songs available for download on their site:
Or listen samples from their album The Cathedral here:
Folk Exchange events start at 8 pm, doors open at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the door or in advance at the Festival Music Store at 211 Bannatyne Avenue. Call the Music Store at 231-1377 for more information.