50 Years of Folk: The 2000s

50 Years of Folk

Rooted and Rising

A decade of growth, discovery, and keeping the spirit alive

Welcome to Folk Fest in the new millennium! Longtime attendees arrived to find a Festival that had expanded and modernized, welcoming new generations — yet the soul of what made it special still lingered in the air.

While the Festival remained deeply welcoming, it now pulsed with a new energy and scale. Stages grew larger, sound systems louder, and production quality more refined. It looked sharper, sounded bigger, and drew wider crowds — but the organic, handmade spirit was still very much alive.

As always, you showed up, sank into the sun-warmed grass, barefoot and sun-kissed, surrounded by a crowd that felt like family. Blurring the lines of what “folk” meant, the Festival embraced a wider variety of genres: indie, rock, world music, and alternative folk. The discovery factor remained strong with such diversity on the bill. People came for the headliners but left raving about hidden gems stumbled upon at smaller stages. Performers loved how polite, attentive, and open to music the crowd was, making even first-time artists feel like they were part of the family.

While wandering through the Festival, you were greeted by countless volunteers — students, doctors, and retirees — working side by side. Their warmth and dedication made the Festival feel safe. You discovered wide-eyed teens from the new Young Performers Program playing on a small stage. Inspired young musicians finally had the chance to play alongside some of their musical heroes, and you watched as they beamed, earning their first-ever Festival applause.

Individuality was everywhere. Festivalgoers expressed themselves through clothing like colourful bandanas and patchwork skirts — or simply by dancing.

Under the dappled shadows of the trees, you set up camp, grabbed an icy fruit shake from the expanded Food Village, refilled your bottle at a water tap, or submerged yourself directly under the open showers. Festivalgoers always found new ways to stay cool.

By the time the sun went down and headliners emerged, you had a choice: check out a film or DJ at Firefly Palace — the children’s tent transformed into a late-night stage — or stick with Main Stage before heading to the newly introduced after-hours stage back at the Festival campground.

As you weaved through the tents, you probably noticed slightly more volunteer safety folks around, as organizers worked to balance the campground’s free-spirited magic with the realities of a growing event. Still, the space felt otherworldly — where the sound of banjo strings and crackling campfires drifted through the air.

The Festival was looking for harmony — between roots and reinvention. No matter how much it evolved, it still felt like coming home.

Gallery

Check out photos from the past. Click to enlarge the image and get more information.

Stage 1 (2000) Photo: J. Jorowski

Dancing Folkies (2000) Photo: I. McCausland

Hand-Made Village (2000) Photo: Bob Tinker

Hawksley Workman (2000) Photo: A. Browne

Hot Club of Cowtown on Main Stage (2000) Photo: I. McCausland

John K. Samson (2000) Photo: R. Dennett

Main Stage Audience (2000) Photo: I. McCausland

Main Stage (2000) Photo: I. McCausland

Program Cover Face Paint (2000) Photo: A. Browne

Food Vendors (2001) Photo: Tim Beaudry

Main Stage (2002) Photo: David McKnight

Al Simmons (2002) Photo: I. McCausland

Balafon (2002) Photo: J.Jorowski

Main Stage (2002) Photo: Dave McKnight

Nash the Slash (2002) Photo: I. McCausland

Richie Havens (2002) Photo: Dave Landy

Stage 1 (2002) Photo: I. McCausland

Stage 2 (2002) Photo: A. Browne

Main Stage (2002) Photo: David McKnight

Dancing Folkies (2003) Photo: Unknown

Sleeping Folkies (2003) Photo: Unknown

Executive Director Trudy Schroeder Giving an Interview (2003) Photo: Unknown

Hula Hooping in the Field (2003) Photo: Unknown

Music Store Tent (2003) Photo: Unknown

Wandering Volunteers (2003) Photo: Unknown

Day Stage (2003) Photo: Unknown

Family (2003) Photo: Unknown

Dancing Folkie (2003) Photo: Unknown

Audience Services (2003) Photo: Unknown

Ani DiFranco (2003) Photo: Unknown

The Duhks (2004) Photo: Unknown

Dancing Folkies (2004) Photo: Unknown

Day Stage (2004) Photo: Unknown

Bubble Guy (2004) Photo: Unknown

Whales Tails (2004) Photo: Unknown

Smiling Folkies (2004) Photo: Unknown

Staff Photo (2004) Photo: Unknown

Smiling Folkies (2004) Photo: Unknown

Face Paint (2004) Photo: Unknown

Dragonfly (2005) Photo: Unknown

Daniel Lanois and Emmylou Harris (2005) Photo: Unknown

Emmylou Harris (2005) Photo: Unknown

Face Paint (2005) Photo: Unknown

Folkies (2005) Photo: Unknown

Daystage (2005) Photo: Unknown

Ice Cream Break (2005) Photo: Unknown

Teepee (2005) Photo: Unknown

Colourful Folkie (2005) Photo: Unknown

John K Samson (2005) Photo: Unknown

Feist (2005) Photo: Unknown

Folkies (2005) Photo: Unknown

Video Screen Volunteer (2005) Photo: Unknown

Family Area Performers (2006) Photo: Unknown

Volunteers (2006) Photo: Unknown

Hammock Folkies (2006) Photo: Unknown

Bruce Cockburn (2006) Photo: Unknown

Finale (2006) Photo: Unknown

Wedding Plaque (2006) Photo: Unknown

Art Installation (2006) Photo: Unknown

Young Artists Program (2006) Photo: Unknown

Timeline

Keep scrolling for some select highlights from over the years.

2000

27th Edition – July 6-9

4 Days
8 Stages
33,600+ Attendees
90 Artists
1,372 Volunteers
48 Crews
20 Food Vendors
67 Hand-Made Village Artisans
46 Young Performers
10 Staff

Artistic Director
Rick Fenton