50 Years of Folk: The 2020s

Winnipeg Folk Fest at Home – July 11

3 Hours
1 Video
80,000+ Unique Viewers of Winnipeg Folk Fest at Home*
35 Artists
25 Year-Round Concerts
20 Staff

Artistic Director
Chris Frayer

Executive Director
Lynne Skromeda

• With the COVID-19 pandemic taking over the globe the Festival had to cancel for the first time ever. To fill the major void the Festival put together a 3 hour online concert featuring performances by 35 artists including Brandi Carlile, Arlo Guthrie, Alan Doyle, and William Prince.
• Although there were no crews to fill this year, many regular volunteers became donors to support the Festival.
• 957 donors raised a record amount of $207,365 by January 31, 2021.
• By the same date, the Festival received additional COVID-19 support funding from The Winnipeg Foundation, Canadian Heritage, and government subsidy programs at both the provincial and federal levels.
• Numerous sponsors and partners maintained support, either by backing Winnipeg Folk Fest at Home or offering corporate gifts, generating $150,500 to help the Festival stabilize and prepare for its return.
• The Festival is awarded the Impact in Live Music Award from the Western Canadian Music Awards.

19 Year-Round Concerts
18 Staff

Artistic Director
Chris Frayer

Executive Director
Lynne Skromeda

• The Festival continued to support local artists through online initiatives such as Folk in the City: Live at the Burt and Kinaxis InConcert, as well as in-person programming like Common Ground and So Long, Bannatyne.
• Staff made several trips to Birds Hill Park to complete site improvements, including the planting of 80 new trees and the construction of a new site office.
• A total of 651 donors raised $203,895 for the organization by January 31, 2022.
• The Festival received additional COVID-19 relief funding from The Winnipeg Foundation, Manitoba Arts Council, and Canadian Heritage.

47th Edition – July 7-10

4 Days
9 Stages
72,400+ Attendees
70 Artists
28 Year-Round Concerts
2,195 Volunteers
54 Crews
25 Food Vendors
50 Hand-Made Village Artisans
41 Young Performers
19 Staff

Artistic Director
Chris Frayer

Executive Director
Lynne Skromeda

• Big Blue @ Night expanded to include Thursday evening programming, introducing more indie content to the nighttime sets.
• The Festival site became fully licensed, allowing attendees to enjoy a tavern beverage anywhere on the grounds.
• Proof of vaccination was required for all volunteers, media, vendors, backstage guests, staff, board members, and performers.
• Mitch’s Sunday Feast honoured the life and legacy of Festival founder Mitch Podolak with special performances by Al Simmons, Allison de Groot, Andrina Turenne, Daniel Koulak, The Duhks, Fred Casey, Hugo Torres, Kate Ferris, Nathan Rogers, Nicky Mehta, Rodrigo Muñoz, Scott Nolan, and Tim Osmond.

48th Edition – July 6-9

4 Days
9 Stages
74,400+ Attendees
70 Artists
28 Year-Round Concerts
2,195 Volunteers
54 Crews
25 Food Vendors
50 Hand-Made Village Artisans
15 Prairie Outdoor Exhibits
36 Young Performers
19 Staff

Artistic Director
Chris Frayer

Executive Director
Lynne Skromeda

• The Festival debuted a new Main Stage, enhancing the experience for crews, artists, and the audience. The stage was constructed using 75% recycled materials.
• A new campground tower, dubbed “The Bird Cage,” was introduced and became a hub for nighttime jam sessions and a popular meeting place for friends.
• Wheatfield Soul, the all-Manitoba artist workshop, was one of the most well-attended sessions of the weekend, featuring Andrina Turenne, Field Guide, Fire & Smoke, FONTINE, Leaf Rapids, Matt Foster, and William Prince.
• The Festival received the Sustainable Tourism Award for Winnipeg from the Tourism Awards Winnipeg.

49th Edition – July 11-14

4 Days
9 Stages
75,600+ Attendees
73 Artists
20 Year-Round Concerts
2,424 Volunteers
53 Crews
26 Food Vendors
53 Hand-Made Village Artisans
14 Prairie Outdoor Exhibits
26 Young Performers
20 Staff

Artistic Director
Chris Frayer

Executive Director
Valerie Shantz

• Winnipeg Folk Festival was honoured with the “Green Operations Festival of the Year” from the Canadian Live Music Association.
• We beat our sustainability goal of increasing waste diversion to 50% by 2025 a whole year early.
• A skunk, that has lovingly been dubbed Delayla Gates, delayed the opening of the Main Gate on the Friday of the Festival.
• The Winnipeg Folk Festival as an organization turned 50 but due to the pandemic this was the 49th Festival.