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27 Dec 02 - 10:32 AM (#854057) Subject: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD My Wife & I are going to attend the Winnipeg Folk Festival this summer. We have never attended a folk festival, as such, & we'd like to know what to expect, what to do, etc. & specifically info about the one in Winnipeg. We have already reserved hotel reservations, but can cancel if better situations present itself..I can't walk very far at a time, but do have a handicapped sticker..we'd be interested in any special accomodations available. With a little luck, & a number of months to recover, maybe there won't be a problem.. I do play guitar, & sing out of the mainstream type songs... at our local bluegrass jams, I'm called "Gary of the odd song"...so I'm looking forward to it! Anybody who has been to, or will be attending the one in Winnipeg, or even general comments on other folk festivals is welcome. I do have a personal page here at Mudcat under GaryD, if you wish to send private information as well, though I'll be following this thread too.. Thanks in advance for your help...I'll look forward to hearing from you... GaryD |
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28 Dec 02 - 11:35 PM (#854832) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GUEST,b.kelly1@shaw.ca Hi Gary! My husband and I have attended the Winnipeg Folk Festival numerous times and enjoyed it very much. The only problem is....there is a LOT of walking involved. We always stay at the trailer campground which is a few miles from the festival site itself, but even the walk in from the festival's parking lot is about 1/4-1/2 mile at the BEST. There are several stages and the distance between them is again a fair distance. I get pooped myself and tend to just plunk down at one stage and stay there after a while. The festival site is about 20 minutes from Winnipeg itself...I'm not sure where your hotel is. However, the talent, (although not a lot of "big names") is usually very good. I hope this is of some help to you. If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me. Beth |
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31 Dec 02 - 12:34 AM (#855770) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD Thanks, Beth!... I'll be sending you an email, shortly. Is there anybody else out there that can add to the information about the folk festival in Winnipeg.. are any of you going to be there this summer? It'd be nice to meet up with some of you, if that was the case. I know it's still a long way off, but I'm already excited about attending.. Thanks for any help... GaryD |
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31 Dec 02 - 10:09 AM (#855921) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: black walnut It's a wonderful festival! It is, however, a HUGE festival, in numbers and area. I suggest that if you have serious troubles walking that you consider borrowing a wheelchair. Unless things have changed, there was the daily business of getting in line before the doors opened each day, and racing with hundreds of others to put down a blanket/tarp and marker (so you can find your blanket/tarp later on) for the main stage evening concert. So, you might contact the organizers about whether there is a special wheelchair seating area because that might nip that little problem in the bud. Anyone walking at the Winnipeg Festival should be advised to have waterproof sandals. I found that it could suddenly pour rain (let's call a torrent a torrent), and then clear up but be extremely muddy in places (the places you want to be, of course) for a long long long long time. It wouldn't drain or dry up, it was just a muddy park. Once I was able to accept that, it was tolerable and even fun. Mosquito repellant. This is the land of giant mosquitos. Be warned. I'd suggest you contact the organizers and ask their advice according to your personal needs; I'm sure that someone will write you back with helpful ideas. If you don't get a response that suits you, my husband suggests that you might consider going to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival instead...it is the best run festival we've ever attended! Enjoy! Festivals are GREAT! ~b.w. |
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31 Dec 02 - 11:20 AM (#855963) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: Willie-O Winnipeg is huge and great. It's relatively flat, slightly rolling terrain. I haven't been since '96 which had an incredible lineup of Celtic talent. Black Walnut's comments about the main stage setup are well taken. It is a very large field and you will want to ensure access to a decent spot. It's well worth the trouble--being a prairie location it has that BIG HUGE SKY over it, which adds drama to great musical performances. Nobody can forget, for example, 1978, seeing the sun come out at the end of a very rainy day for about sixty seconds as it finally found the tiny gap between the clouds and the western horizon, bathing Stan Rogers in this unnatural light and giving twenty thousand wet people a minute to remember forever. And given the scale of talent at Winnipeg, the numerous workshops (various musicians sharing a stage with some kind of a thematic connection) are of A++ calibre. You want to take decent raingear, just in case. When it rains, the show goes on. '96, though, had this awesome light show of thunderclouds passing over all weekend, and it never really rained. You won't regret going. It's more than worth the hassle. If I were you, I'd look into smaller festivals in your area too, which are a lot easier logistically and can produce just as magical an effect. Bill |
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31 Dec 02 - 03:08 PM (#856141) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD Thanks Bill, & BW...Beth sent me an email echoing your remarks...but I'm not one to let a little rain get me down, we'll make do... If I get started with the organizers now, perhaps they may take some suggestions about providing some sort of shuttle from stage to stage..it's not hard to do with a tractor/haywagon sort of thing that we do here in central mn for other types of large outdoor events.. Meanwhile, I continue to heal & get my strength back..hopefully by summertime, I may not have the problem... I especially liked your reactions to the festival & the magical moments you've had... You've got me really cranked up!...Anybody else with more about the Winnipeg festival?...Thanks Again, GaryD P.S...what about opportunities to share songs..jams, etc.? |
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01 Jan 03 - 11:48 PM (#857020) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD Any suggestions, impressions, events, things to do nearby the Winnipeg Folk Festival this summer?...more inputs would be great!...Thanks..GaryD |
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02 Jan 03 - 09:06 AM (#857181) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: black walnut I'll just add that one of my favourite memories of the Winnipeg festival was a night at mainstage, between about 1 and 3 AM, listening to The Barenaked Ladies, followed by Loreena McKennitt, under a full moon. ~b.w. |
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02 Jan 03 - 09:17 AM (#857185) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: Willie-O Gary, I guess I'd have to say it's not a terribly participatory type festival. Hey, I saw Loreena McKennitt playing at Winnipeg when she was a 19-year-old guitar-toting folkie! ('77, I think.) This is pretty funny now that I think about it--she was complaining about how hard it was to tune her Martin guitar--then she went on to take up the harp. I've only been there the three times, and each year I brought home a bucketful of memories...wish I could go every year. Not very likely this year, I'll be fresh out of school and broke. The festival shuttle idea sounds good. Bill |
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02 Jan 03 - 11:42 PM (#857626) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD Thanks again for the input...I've heard lots of good stuff around here in Central MN regarding what to expect.. I'm sure I'll enjoy it.. anybody else care to contribute? |
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14 Jan 03 - 08:27 AM (#866590) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD I'm still looking for more information about the Folk Festival, impressions, experiences, what to expect, details, etc., and other things to do & see around Winnipeg around that time...any takers?..Gary |
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04 Jul 03 - 07:34 PM (#976971) Subject: RE: Winnipeg Folk Festival Information From: GaryD Well it's been a long time since I wrote about the Festival, but here it is next week!.. We'll be going 7/10-7/15. I'm excited & hope I'll be wallowing in music pleasure.. I especially like harmonies... any favorite groups, duos, trios, etc. you know will be there that we'd like to hear? or for that matter, any particular performers you think we shouldn't miss? Also, what else can we do there?... Any opportunity for jamming & joining in with my humble voice & guitar? If you are going too, maybe we can connect... Looking forward to it.. Take Care, & "Keep on the Sunny Side!" |