Camping is one of the most popular ways to experience the festival. The festival runs two campgrounds: The Festival Campground and The Quiet Campground.
Campground sell-out
2009’s Festival Campground sold out quicker than ever . . . to many people’s disappointment. We can see this current ticket system isn’t working anymore and will be changing how tickets are sold for 2010. In the meantime, we thank you for your patience and understanding in 2009.
Why doesn’t the festival increase the campground’s capacity?
What would seem like an easy answer is actually a bit more complicated. The Festival leases this land (and the Festival site) from Birds Hill Park.
In consultation with the RCMP and Park authorities, capacity within the Festival Campground is capped at 6000 people to ensure a positive festival experience for all. As much as the Festival wishes that everyone could be there, they really can’t sell more passes to the campground. And the Festival is not allowed to expand its current footprint in the park.
If you have ideas or suggestions for improving the camping experience at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, we would love to hear them. Give us your feedback on how to make it better. Get in touch! send email to info@winnipegfolkfestival.ca.
General Camper Information
- Provincial Park gates are closed between 11:00 pm and 7:00 am, so don’t arrive during those times.
- Camping passes are sold per person, so you need to purchase a camping pass for each person in your party. Each person also needs a 4-Day Festival Pass.
- The Winnipeg Folk Festival welcomes teens, but minors (under the age of 18) must be accompanied by an adult, to a limit of four minors per adult, who will be responsible for them.
- Underage campers (under the age of 18) must be accompanied by an adult to claim their camping wristbands. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age.
Tipi Village. Photo by Lisa Waldner. - Both camping areas are unserviced, and all vehicles will be parked in an area separate from the tenting grounds.
- A Folk Festival shuttle operates during Festival hours to take patrons FREE of charge from the campgrounds to the Folk Festival site.
Festival Camping
Click here for Campground Photo Gallery. Click here to download a PDF of the 2009 Festival Campground Guide. Click here for information about the 2009 Campground Exhibition & Animation Projects.
 The Fire Pyxies perform in the 2006 Festival Campground. Photo by Lisa Waldner. |
Over 6,000 festival friends camp for the weekend in the Festival Campground. The Festival Campground is known for its night-life. If you are a camper who needs quiet to sleep, you might want to consider camping in our Quiet Campground. Camping on site for the whole five days is by far the best way to immerse yourself in the full festival experience. Whether this is your first time at a festival or you’re an old hand, here are a few things you should keep in mind when preparing to camp.
2009 Opening Times
The Festival Campground and Quiet Campground both open at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 8, and close at 12:00 noon on Monday, July 13. Birds Hill Park opens at 7:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
Campground Entrance
Camping is restricted to Festival patrons only. You must have a 4-day Festival pass and camping ticket to enter the campground. Camping tickets are sold on a per person basis, not per site. Tickets can be purchased at the Festival Campground Box Office after which you will exchange your ticket for a camping wristband. The Festival Campground has sold out the past 3 years. To avoid sell-out disappointment, buy your tickets early! For more ticket information, click here. The Winnipeg Folk Festival welcomes people of all ages, however minors (under 18 years of age) must be accompanied and supervised by an adult, to a limit of four minors per adult, who will be held responsible for the actions of the minors under their supervision. Underage campers will not be given wristbands without accompaniment of an adult. We reserve the right to ask for proof of age. Bring your ID! Overnight parking is available for camper, however keep in mind that you cannot park beside your tent. Parking lots are located by the campground entrance and all campers must move in their camping gear by foot, so it is highly recommended to bring a wagon.
 The Pirate Ship from 2007. Photo by Rod Christie. |
Arriving at the Campground
Everybody knows that you have the best chance of getting your favourite campsite at the Folk Festival by being the earlybird. Please remember that Birds Hill Park opens at 7 am on Wednesday, no earlier. If you arrive before 7 am, you will be turned away. Please enter through the WEST GATE of Birds Hill Park (from Hwy 59); all cars arriving at the EAST GATE (from Hwy 206) will be forwarded to the WEST GATE queue. EAST GATE will not open until 8 am on Wednesday. Be patient - there will be a line-up. Campground volunteers are on-hand to help direct you once you arrive. It is not possible to reserve a campsite. If you plan to camp with a group, your group must arrive together (or someone from your group must bring and erect all the tents).
Campground Orientation
Acquaint yourself with the campground when you arrive. Check the locations of porta-potties, pathways, and landmarks where you are camped. The campground looks very different at night!
 Festival Campground Map (Photo: Ravi Shukla) |
Tent Camping
One of the best parts of camping is watching the evolution of an empty prairie field turn into an intimate city of tents. The majority of the campground is designated for tents, and a smaller separate area for RVs. Vehicles (including camping vehicles) are prohibited in the tenting grounds.
RV Camping
The north end of festival camping is reserved for camping vehicles only: RVs, trailers, campers, or camping vans. Not allowed: sleeping in the back of your car, an unconverted van, box truck, snowmobile or motorcycle. Once inside, camping vehicles are not to be moved except when vacating the campground. Vehicles pulling trailers must leave the area after parking and positioning the trailer, camper or 5th wheel. No in/out privileges. Vehicle restrictions are for the safety of patrons, especially children. The special needs parking area is for designated patrons. One tent per vehicle is allowed in the RV Area. RV spots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. RV spaces are also available in Quiet Campground.
Shuttle Service
Help us reduce traffic by leaving your vehicle parked and walking to the festival site. Take a ride on the free Campground Shuttle bus. Buses leave hourly from marked bus stops along the trailhead paths and run from all three campgrounds to the festival site. Shuttle service is free but donation buckets are at the front of the bus beside the driver. Ask the Campground Box Office crew for route and schedule details upon arriving in the campground.
- Campground Shuttle map (PDF)
- Campground Shuttle schedule (PDF)
Campground Services
There are outhouses, portable toilets, water taps, picnic tables and fire pits for communal use. Firewood can be purchased on site. No electricity is provided. No generators please. Campers are welcome to use the free shower and coin-laundry facilities at the Birds Hill Park Campground. Take our free shuttle to the shower!
Conscious Camping
The Winnipeg Folk Festival was the first festival to be certified with an EcoLogo as a “green event” by Canada’s Environmental Choice Program, in recognition of our efforts to be environmentally proactive. Respect Mother Nature and help us continue this legacy of eco-consciousness in the campground. Please be a responsible camper: Respect your neighbours and your environment! Pack out only what you pack in. Leave only your footprints. (The creatures that live at the park year-round thank you, as do the volunteers who clean up the garbage left behind).
 The Campground Enviro Crew sorts recyclables on Monday morning (Photo: Ravi Shukla) |
Remember that this is your home for five days. Keep it clean! Campground volunteers will provide you with bags: orange for empties, clear for recyclables, and black for garbage. Drop off recyclables at the depots located throughout the campground (refer to the campground map): pop cans, plastic bottles, beer cans, and beer bottles. The Campground Environment crew take recyclable drink containers and turn them into cash for campground improvements (such as additional fire pits, porta-potties, water taps & shelters.) Show your support by dropping off your deposit bottles and cans at the RECYCLING DEPOT.Help us avoid broken glass and accidents by bringing cans or plastic instead of glass containers. Attention smokers: Nobody likes to step barefoot on a lit cigarette. Practice the “pinch and pocket” habit; don’t butt out your filter on the ground. Pinch off the end and dispose of it properly. Free cigarette snuffers are available at Campground Central, located by Trailhead 1B.
Green Campers
Be a part of our “Green Campers” reward program! When Monday morning rolls around, campers with clean campsites will be allowed to drive into the campground to pack up your tent and belongings. Look for a Campground Enviro Volunteer on Monday morning to find out more information.
What to Bring
- Clothes for all types of weather
- Extra socks
- Shade cover (tarps, beach umbrellas, etc…)
- Shoes and sandals
- Hats
- Sunscreen, mosquito repellant
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- Waterproof ground cover
- Packrats may want to bring a wagon to schlep supplies from the car to the campsite
- Acoustic musical instruments
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 burning or collecting scavenged wood
Fireworks
It is illegal to set off fireworks in a provincial park. Persons found setting off fireworks in the park can receive a fine of up to $10,000 or be imprisoned for up to 6 months! Fireworks are dangerous to your fellow campers, people can be seriously injured, or cause forest fires. Please report any fireworks to security.
Message Board
Trying to hook up with a buddy? You were supposed to meet up yesterday? Leave a message on the campground message board. There are message boards at the main campground entrance and another by the Campground Field Offices in Zone 1B.
Drugs and Alcohol
Be wise. The festival experience is quite surreal and can overload your senses without any stimulants. Please drink responsibly. Alcohol is not allowed outside the Festival Campground boundaries (this includes Pope’s Hill).
Security
Camp near your friends, mark your property and your tent, and take your valuables with you when you commute to the site. If you’re not camped near your friends, make friends with those who are camped near you. If you lose something, check out the ‘lost and found’ at Security Headquarters at the Festival entrance gate. The Festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items. There will be volunteer security crews, professional security, and park officers in the campground, on the hill and at the campground checkpoints. Please be respectful and make sure your wristband is visible as you walk by the checkpoints. If you see someone acting irresponsibly in the campground, please contact a security person (the folks in the reflective vests). We rely on our campers to maintain a level of safety within the campground. Please continue the spirit of communal responsibility!
First Aid
First Aid Services are located at the campground entrance and in Zone 1B (campground map.) They are here to help if a medical situation arises. If you notice someone who looks like they need medical attention, please contact the nearest volunteer.
Poison Ivy Alert!
This plant grows in wooded areas. It may vine on trees or fences, spread along the ground, or grow as a shrub. Leaves vary in size, dull green in summer, with smooth, toothed or lobed edges. Be cautious of all plants with three leaves!
Lost or Stolen Ticket Policy
Tickets/wristbands are valuable and should be safeguarded. The Winnipeg Folk Festival is not responsible for lost, stolen, defaced, or destroyed tickets/wristbands and will not issue refunds or replacement tickets/wristbands.
