The 33rd Annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival is taking place at picturesque Jericho Beach in the heart of Vancouver next weekend. This festival, the largest one that takes place in the city, incorporates 3 days worth of folk (and folk-related) artists from all over the world with a laid-back west coast mentality, with stages overlooking tree overhangs and ocean. There will be concerts throughout the day, as well as collaborations and workshops provided by the artists. You'll find musical lovers of all ages and ilk, dressed in everything from costumes to minimally under the sun. So grab your sunscreen and your blanket and get ready for a wonderful weekend of music!
I will be covering the 2010 Vancouver Folk Music Festival for North by East West throughout the weekend. Follow me on Twitter for live updates, check out my Flickr for photos and keep your eyes peeled here for interviews and highlights of the weekend!Weekend passes and nightly passes are available at different rates for seniors, youth and students. Gates are open at 4pm on Friday evening and 9am Saturday and Sunday. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you can purchase them online here or at Highlife Records, Neptoon Records, Zulu Records, Little Sisters Bookstore or Banyen Books. They're also available at the gates for a higher price.
I'm glad to see that although provincial arts funding had been slashed dramatically, affecting the bottom lines of cultural groups including the Folk Fest, we can still expect Canadian talent across the country to grace their presence on the VFMF stages. Some of these performers include Bahamas, Jim Byrnes, Alex Cuba, The Deep Dark Woods, Sarah Harmer, Jon & Roy, Shane Koyczan and the Short Story Long, Catherine MacLellan, The Malahat Revue (consisting of Hannah Georgas, Said The Whale, Jeremy Fisher and Aidan Knight), Timber Timbre, and the United Steel Workers of Montreal.
You'll also find international talents such as The Avett Brothers, Calexico and Bettye LaVette. Click here for the full line-up of the 2010 VFMF.
For a sense of the joyous musical weekend about to take place July 16-18, you can check out my coverage of the Vancouver Folk Fest from last year. I had an incredible time, and the little touches-- including considerations for sustainability and public transit-- indicate excellent planning on the part of the VFMF committee last year. I'm looking forward to seeing how they have improved in a year's time.
(Photo from Great Lake Swimmers' performance at last year's VFMF. Brenda Lee.)