50 Years of Folk

The Evolution of a Festival

quick-jump

Photo Exhibit

Take a walk down memory lane and wander through all the decades of Winnipeg Folk Festival. Click through the decades to learn more about the photos you're looking at on site!

1970s

Part of the duo Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (1979).

Column 1: Main Stage (Year Unknown), Alanis Obomsawin (1977), Floyd Westerman (1976), Original Sloth Band (1974).

Column 2: Audience Members with Child (Year Unknown), Main Stage Audience (Year Unknown), New Nations Drumming Circle and Dancers (1975), Duck Donald & Cathy Fink (1978), Norman & Nancy Blake (1978), Oscar Brand (1974), Irish Rovers (1976), Family in Audience (Year Unknown), Sylvia Tyson (1974).

Column 3: Roosevelt Sykes (1974), Daytime Stage (Year Unknown), Main Stage (Year Unknown), Bai & Dembo Konte (1979), Breton & Cyr (1978), Tom Paxton, Mary Faith Rhoades, Jim Donahue, and Ryan Fancy in a Workshop (1977), Dave Mclean and Gord Kidder (1976).

Column 4: Main Stage (Year Unknown), John Hammond (1974), Program Book (1974), Program Book (1975), Tech Crew (Year Unknown), Audience (Year Unknown), Audience (Year Unknown), Mitch Podolak, Lorna Hiebert, and Bill Merritt (1978).

Column 5: Daytime Stage (1975), Bruce Cockburn (1975), Family Area (Year Unknown), String Band (1975), Hand-Made Village (Year Unknown), Audience (Year Unknown), Ken Bloom (1978).

Column 6: Food Vendors (Year Unknown), HMV Artisans (Year Unknown), Sam Chatmon (1975), Main Stage (1975), Bruce Cockburn, Luke Gibson, Valdy, Mimi Fariña, and Dan Donahue in a Workshop, Audience (Year Unknown).

Column 7: Dancer from New Nation Chanters and Dancers (1975), Murray McLauchlan (1974), Angele Arsenault (1974), Big Dave McLean, Leon Redbone, and Colin Linden (1977), Mimi Fariña (1975), Program Book (1978) Program Book (1979), Audience (Year Unknown)

1980s

Column 1: Audience Member (Year Unknown), Audience (Year Unknown), Murray McLauchlan (1988), Ladysmith Black Mambazo (1987), Lyle Lovette (1988).

Column 2: Drink Tent Volunteer (Year Unknown), Nanci Griffith (1985), David Lindley (1988), Audience Dancing In The Rain (Year Unknown), Performer (Year Unknown), Festivalgoers (Year Unknown), Photography Volunteer (Year Unknown), Aerial Photo Of Tarps At Stage (Year Unknown).

Column 3: Festivalgoers Jamming (Year Unknown), Festivalgoer Reviewing Site Map (Year Unknown), Stephane Grappelli (1980), Performers On Main Stage (Year Unknown), Bonnie Raitt (1988), Buskers Stage (Year Unknown).

Column 4: Sweet Honey In The Rock (1986), Audience Dancing (Year Unknown), 1981 Winnipeg Folk Festival Program Guide, 1980 Winnipeg Folk Festival Program Guide, Queen Ida (1982), Audience Outside Of ‘Stage 2’ (Year Unknown).

Column 5: Main Gate (Year Unknown), Main Stage (Year Unknown), Jane Siberry (1989), Music Store Volunteers (Year Unknown), Fiddle Puppets (Year Unknown), John Prine (1989).

Column 6: Dancing Audience (Year Unknown), Loreena McKennitt (1989), K.D. Lang (1985), Audience Dancing (Year Unknown), Holly Arntzen (1984), Audience (Year Unknown).

1990s

Jann Arden And Unknown Person (1998)

Column 1: La Cuisine Volunteers (Year Unknown), First Peoples Village Dancers (1991), Audience (Year Unknown), Audience Sitting Around The Main Stage Sign (Year Unknown), Festivalgoers Finding Alternate Seating For Flooded Audience Area (Year Unknown),

Column 2: Young Festivalgoers in the Campground (Year Unknown), Burton Cumming (1995), Oscar Lopez (1998), Ferron (Year Unknown), Volunteer Supervising Gate (Year Unknown), James Kelleghan (Year Unknown), Richard Wood (1998), Bubbles at Main Stage (Year Unknown).

Column 3: Aerial Photo Of Main Stage And Audience (Year Unknown), Bikes Locked Up At Main Gate (Year Unknown), Joaquin Diaz (1998), Bob Brozman (1999), Children Painting At The Kid’s Tent (Year Unknown), Fiddle Puppets (1990)

Column 4: Tony Trischka & Michael Miles (1993), Audience Members Dancing In The Mud at Main Stage (Year Unknown), Person Underneath Stage Scaffolding (Year Unknown), Person Painting A Family Area Sign (Year Unknown), Audience In Front Of Food Vendors (Year Unknown), Main Gate Box Office Volunteers (Year Unknown).

Column 5: Merch Tent Volunteer (Year Unknown), Barenaked Ladies (1992), Festivalgoers In Main Stage Audience (Year Unknown), Tarp Shuffle (Year Unknown), Winnipeg Folk Festival Staff (Year Unknown), La Cuisine Volunteers (Year Unknown).

Column 6: Natalie MacMaster (1995), Festivalgoers Dancing (Year Unknown), Festivalgoers (Year Unknown), Audience at a Daytime Stage (Year Unknown), Bass Guitarist On Main Stage (1993), Elaine Markwart – Festival Friend (1993), Bruce Cockburn (1998).

Column 7: Audience Cheering (Year Unknown), 1998 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 1992 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, Volunteers Setting Up The Fence Line (Year Unknown), Jim Post (Year Unknown), Ani DiFranco (1998), Unknown Performer (1992), Food Vendors (Year Unknown).

2000s

Oliver Schroer (2000), Finale With James Keelaghen (Year Unknown).

Column 1: Al Simmons (2002), 2007 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2009 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, Audience (Year Unknown), The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Performing On Main Stage (2000), Donna Simpson – of The Waifs (2001), Stuart Mclean (2000), Volunteers Selling Programs (Year Unknown)

Column 2: Sarah Harmer (2004), Plate Volunteers (Year Unknown), Michael Franti (2007), Linda Tillery And The Cultural Heritage Choir (Year Unknown), Elvis Costello (2009)

Column 3: Audience In Front at ‘Stage 1’ (Year Unknown), Festival-Goers Putting Down A Tarp At Main Stage (Year Unknown), Dancing Festivalgoers (Year Unknown), The Hot Club Of Cowtown (2000), Festivalgoer Using Showers At Site Entrance (Year Unknown)

Column 4: Main Stage (Year Unknown), Schlepper Volunteer Transporting An Upright Bass (Year Unknown), Food Vendors (Year Unknown), Green Ash (Year Unknown), Valdy (2005).

Column 5: Backstage Lockup Volunteers (Year Unknown), 2002 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2000 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, Daniel Lanois & Emmylou Harris (2005), Audio Tech Stage Volunteer (Year Unknown), Unknown Performer (2002), Festivalgoers (Year Unknown), DJ Hunnicutt (2004).

Column 6: Hawksley Workman (2000), Xavier Rudd (2004), Green Fools Theatre (2006), Feist (2005), Schlepper Volunteers (Year Unknown), 50/50 Volunteer Walking Through The Audience (Year Unknown).

Column 7: Folk Fest Express Bus (Year Unknown), The Be Good Tanyas (2005), Kawa Brass Band (2005), Backstage (Year Unknown), Jackie Greene (2005), Gilles & Sam Fournier – Festival Friends (Year Unknown), John K Samson (2010).

2010s

The Sheepdogs (2019).

Column 1: FM Belfast (2019), Wandering Minstrels Performing at La Cuisine (Year Unknown), Tegan And Sara (2011), Volunteer Signing the Volunteer Mural (Year Unknown), 50/50 Raffle Volunteer In Main Stage Audience (Year Unknown).

Column 2: 50/50 Volunteer (Year Unknown), Prairie Outdoor Exhibition Installation (Year Unknown), Too Many Zooz (2018), Festivalgoers in the Festival Campground (Year Unknown), The Lone Bellow (2019).

Column 3: Volunteers (Year Unknown), 2017 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2019 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, Desi Sub Culture (2017), Drone Photo of Main Stage (Year Unknown), Sheryl Crow (2018), Alan Doyle (2016), Audience At Big Blue @ Night (Year Unknown),

Column 4: Red Moon Road (2016), Family Area (Year Unknown), The Bright Light Social Hour (2015), Festivalgoers Walking from Main Gate (Year Unknown), Joan Baez, Sara Lee Guthrie And Johnny Irion (2014)

Column 5: Bike Locked Up At Main Gate (Year Unknown), Main Stage (Year Unknown), Kacey Musgraves (2019), Folks at Pope’s Hill (Year Unknown), The Halluci Nation – Formerly Known As A Tribe Called Red (2013), Festivalgoers Walking On Site (Year Unknown)

Column 6: Ed Robertson – Of The Barenaked Ladies (2017), Begonia (2017), Young Performers Program Performers (2018), The Del McCoury Band With The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2011), Shanley Spence (2019), Willie Thrasher (2016), The Bros. Landreth (2014)

Column 7: Audience At Main Stage (Year Unknown), 2015 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, Festivalgoers Setting Up In The Festival Campground (Year Unknown), Cara Luft (2014), ASL Interpreter Volunteer (Year Unknown), Performers at Chickadee Big Top (Year Unknown), Bonnie Raitt (2014).

2020s

Boy Golden (2022).

Column 1: Lucinda Williams (2024), Jessee Havey (2022), Safety Volunteers (Year Unknown), Audience Members Singing (Year Unknown), Joy Oladokun (2024).

Column 2: Main Gate Festival Entrance (Year Unknown), 2024 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2023 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, The Daybreakers (Wandering Minstrels) (2022), Oldhat Vendor Hand-Made Village Booth (Year Unknown), Audience Members (Year Unknown), Eric Johnson – Of Bonny Light Horseman (2024), Audience Members at Big Blue (Year Unknown).

Column 3: The War On Drugs (2023), KT Tunstall (2023), DJ Shub, Buenrostro, Joe Rainy, & Aysanabee (2023), La Cuisine Volunteer (Year Unknown), Volunteers Posing Backstage (Year Unknown), Vance Joy (2023).

Column 4: Performer At The Chickadee Big Top (Year Unknown), Audience Members (Year Unknown), 2022 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, 2025 Winnipeg Folk Festival Poster, La Cuisine Volunteers (Year Unknown), Audience Members (Year Unknown)

Column 5: Walking Wolf Singers & Dancers (2023), Tash Sultana (2022), Noah Cyrus (2024), Opening Blessing (2023), William Prince (2023),

Column 6: Moontricks (2024), Audience (Year Unknown), Noah Reid (2024), Killer Mike (2024), Orville Peck (2024), Merch Tent (Year Unknown),

Column 7: Main Gate Box Office Volunteer (Year Unknown), Tash Sultana (2022), Lido Pimienta (2022), Young Performers Program (2022), Audience Services (Year Unknown), Member of Ladama (2022), TEKE::TEKE (2022), James Culleton on Chickadee Big Top (2024).