2017 Summer Festivals

Folk // 10 Found Fest // 12 VUEWEEKLY.com | APR 27 – MAY 03, 2017

Burlesque // 13 Jazz // 14

Festival listings // 15-17 FESTIVAL GUIDE 9

FESTIVAL GUIDE PREVUE // FOLK FEST

Organizer Terry Wickham speaks on shortening beer lineups and booking acts

Edmonton Folk Music Festival // Chris Armstrong

Y

ou can’t talk about festival season without mentioning the Edmonton Folk Music Festival. The annual four-day event, held on 'the hill' at Gallagher Park, attracts artists from near and far and has become a summer staple for many Edmontonians.

“I plan my summers around two dates: ticket sales and opening day,” says festival goer Becca Rickets, who experienced her first Folk Fest at nine months old. “Operationally, I experience the festival as a very tight-run weekend. From ticket sales, bus shuttles, food vendors, there's little to improve on.”

For that, we can thank festival producer Terry Wickham, a steady presence at Folk Fest’s helm for the last 29 years. His management philosophy is continuous improvement.

“Just because the festival has sold out for 22 years doesn’t mean we’ll sell out this year,” Wickham says.

“So we don’t take it for granted.”

This year’s focus is on patron comfort—specifically the infamously long lines at the beer tent. With lineups now exceeding an hour at peak times, festival organizers cast around for a solution. All-site licensing and a second beer garden were a possibility, but would have required another few hundred volunteers when the organization is “creaking as it is” for volunteers, Wickham explains.

Instead, they’re going to extend the beer garden grounds to increase capacity from its current 2,300 to

10 FESTIVAL GUIDE

3,500 people.

“It’s unacceptable for me for people to line up for an hour to get a beer,” says Wickham. “So if this doesn’t solve it, then we’re going to find another solution the following year.”

But crowd control is far from Wickham’s biggest operational challenge.

His hardest job is selecting and booking performers and achieving the necessary "balance and excitement" in the substantial lineups.

For Wickham, part of achieving balance is booking a mix of new and returning artists. Rebooking past performers is never a problem, because nearly everyone wants to return.

But with hundreds of past artists and room for only 30 returning acts, the problem becomes one of excess.

The remaining 30 to 35 performers in the lineup are all new to the festival. Part of Wickham’s job is to sort through the thousands of applications that start flooding his inbox in September.

“I try to reply to every email,” he says. “A lot of festivals have stopped taking those applications, but you never know who you find.

Every year I find two or three [new performers].”

Booking headline acts is a different beast altogether. From Joni Mitchell to Norah Jones, Folk Fest has seen some big names in the past, but finding headliners is now harder than ever. For one, many of the big acts are getting older and not

VUEWEEKLY.com | APR 27 – MAY 03, 2017

Thurs., Aug. 10 to Sun., Aug. 13 Edmonton Folk Music Festival Gallagher Park

touring as often—if at all. It’s also getting harder to compete for headliners against the bigger festivals.

Although Folk Fest has a healthy talent budget, festivals like Coachella earn big profits from selling VIP passes and can afford to pay their performers much more.

So, has Wickham booked his big name this year? Not yet, but there’s still time and money in the budget.

The full lineup won’t be announced until the week before tickets go on sale in June, but Wickham divulges a few names. Festival attendees this year can look forward to performances by Tift Merritt, Valerie June, Martyn Joseph, and Canadian act City and Colour will help close the festival on Sunday night.

While we won’t know more for a while, we’re not worried, because Folk Fest never fails to impress.

“The festival fosters an eclectic following, but consistently generates excitement,” says Ricketts, who will attend her 18th Folk Fest this year.

“There is an incredible community of dedicated followers—everyone is kind, helpful and supportive of the collective experience.”

JESSICA KALMAR @VUEWEEKLY

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 11

FESTIVAL GUIDE PREVUE // INTERACTIVE ART

Activating city spaces

Found Fest keeps artists and audiences across the city on their toes Thur., Jun. 22 to Sun., Jun. 25 Various venues (main grounds at Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park) commongroundarts.ca

// Matt Simpson

T

PROUDLY CANADIAN.

PROUDLY RASTAGARIAN.

oward the end of June, things seen and heard in the bookstores, street corners and public parks of Edmonton are so bizarre and wonderful that they can be signs of heatstroke, acid trip or a series of eclectic art exhibits. Miraculously, it’s usually the latter.

Now in its sixth year, Found Festival features found space and site specific art performances throughout Edmonton. Site specific art exists in a fixed location, while found space art can be done almost anywhere.

Performances range from single person audiences to group affairs, and from children’s theatre to adultonly shows. Some have taken place in churches and others in alleys.

“I find that found space performance really needs to consider its relationship with the audience,” says the festival’s director, Beth Dart. “As soon as you remove yourself from a traditional venue, you kind of break all the rules immediately. So, I really look for projects that are taking that

into consideration. How does that project engage the audience in a new and exciting way?”

This is the first year Dart is partnering with Nextfest director Ellen Chorley to present the Fresh AiR program.

Fresh AiR—which stands for Artist in Residence—mentors and supports a local artist who will perform at both festivals. Larissa Pohoreski is the inaugural artist and will perform a piece entitled Before the River in the Edmonton river valley.

“It’s inspired by Ukrainian folklore and Ukrainian pagan rituals surrounding the summer solstice—those stories that your parents used to tell you to keep you out of the woods,” says Pohoreski. “A lot of it is stripping down the theatre magic, and relying on the artist’s ability to story tell and to engage with the audience.”

The 2017 lineup includes Brett Miles—an accomplished saxophonist and son of the late Edmonton Eskimos Grey Cup champion, Rollie Miles.

“We are hopeful to do a performance of Brett’s about his father’s career at the Rollie Miles Athletic Field,” says Dart.

Playwright and poet David Walker will be live broadcasting his life for the full four days as he composes a piece for the end of the festival. His performance will be broadcast both online and on a screen at the main festival grounds where there is live music and beer gardens.

There's so much going on at Found Fest that even if you don’t plan on going to see a show, you might just run into one by accident.

“Something that’s beautiful about a lot of the pieces that come through Found Fest is that they’re out in the public, so quite often we’ll have passersby who just kind of join into the performances,” Dart says. “I think it gives the public a new way to look at spaces that they interact with all the time.”

LUCAS PROVENCHER @VUEWEEKLY

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VUEWEEKLY.com | APR 27 – MAY 03, 2017

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PREVUE // BURLESQUE FESTIVAL

CANMOREFOLKFESTIVAL.COM

Styles of modern seduction Holly Von Sinn prepares a story-driven performance for festival

TO ENTER, GO TO VUEWEEKLY.COM/CONTESTS

Thur., Aug. 31 to Sat., Sept. 2 Edmonton Burlesque Festival edmontonburlesquefest.com

Much of modern burlesque is narrative-based and for Von Sinn’s performance, this is an absolute must.

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TO ENTER GO TO vueweekly.com/contests t ic k

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well as a censorship of art.

After a long litigation, the Human Rights Commission ruled that Rombough was correct and the AGLC updated the law, allowing female performers to be topless.

“We technically don’t have to wear pasties now, but we do because of the aesthetic of the art form we are following," Von Sinn explains. "Before, if I was wearing pasties and tasseltwirling and one of those bad boys flew off, I was breaking the law."

a ti

ith the renaissance in modern burlesque close to a decade ago, Edmonton’s burlesque community has been flourishing each year since. This is due to many different factors, but one that stands out is Edmonton’s annual Burlesque Festival.

Initially starting five years ago after a conversation between a few of Edmonton’s vaudeville leaders, the Burlesque Festival continues to mark Edmonton on the entertainment map of the world.

One of those leaders was Holly Von Sinn, a performer who helped usher in the modern era of solo burlesque shows in Edmonton.

“Both locally and globally, burlesque has grown by leaps and bounds,” Von Sinn says. “Even though Edmonton is geographically isolated, we have a big community here. Performers do their own thing, but kind of cross-pollinate on each others projects.”

Alberta’s burlesque community had a huge win two years ago when the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) changed its definition of nude entertainment to allow burlesque dancers to expose breasts while performing. But, this didn’t happen overnight; the battle to update the restrictions lasted almost six years.

“For awhile, in Alberta, you had to wear a mesh bra. Pasties didn’t cut it. You had to have the sides, bottom and nipples of the breasts covered while doing burlesque,” Von Sinn says. “It was only for women and was super repressive and sex negative.”

It was thanks to Calgary’s Arielle Rombough—who performs as Raven Virginia—and her decision to present the AGLC law to the Alberta Human Rights Commission, citing it as a form of discrimination against women as

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// Darly Croft

She has a background in clowning and relies on a story-driven show.

“Burlesque is story for me," she says. "Some people use a classical burlesque style and rely on the costumes, movement beauty and the sensuality of the strip. They’re saying ‘Hey, my story is that I’m really feeling myself and I’m going to try to seduce you,’ which is narrative in itself. ” Along with a plethora of other performers—such as Dirty Martini, Tifa Tittlywinks, Judith Stein, Ernie Von Schmaltz—Von Sinn will be performing at this year’s Burlesque Festival under two different character names.

One is Howard Van Zandt, a gender queer hobo, and the other is Holly Von Sinn, a showgirl clown. Von Sinn has realized that her characters trickle into her real life, especially with her showgirl clown.

“I think Holly Von Sinn is more of a persona than a character," she explains. "She is an exaggeration of who I am as a human being. I have exes who have kept me in their phone as Holly Von Sinn and my parents call me Holly Von Sinn.”

The Burlesque Festival may be few months away, but it is presenting its '3 Ring Cabaret' on May 6, which promises to be a taste of what this year’s Burlesque Festival will be.

“It’s going to be a vintage circus theme, so it’s something to not be missed,” Von Sinn says. “Burlesque is in its own little world. It’s like no other theatre.”

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FESTIVAL GUIDE 13

FESTIVAL GUIDE PREVUE // JAZZ FEST

Dianne Reeves // Jerris Madison

Hitting all the right notes

Jazz Fest features local favourites and award-winning artists

O

ne of the most acclaimed festivals in town is making a smooth return this summer. The Edmonton International Jazz Festival will provide a melodic blend of musical talent to the city.

This year’s event one that will honour the city’s reputation of being a beacon for jazz in North America.

“Some of the biggest names in jazz have been appearing in Edmonton over the years,” says executive director of the festival, Kent Sangster.

The goal is to supply audiences with a diverse program featuring unique sounds that will offer a forceful display of Edmonton’s vast music scene.

Local artists like High Tides—who balance experimental and soulful sounds—and the jazz-funk powerhouse trio N3K will perform along with numerous other musicians.

“It’s a very healthy jazz scene, considering how far north we’re located," Sangster says. "Every year we see an increase of new bands wanting to play the festival.”

New additions to the local landscape of venues—such as The Needle downtown—are providing more stages and adding a more

14 FESTIVAL GUIDE

expanded layout than in previous years. Sangster hopes this will increase the accessibility of the festival and provide audiences new opportunities to experience different shows in contrasting atmospheres.

The Bellamy Lounge in the Chateau Lacombe will host one of the distinctive events of the festival.

The show will incorporate traditional sets and individual live jam sessions to exhibit organic improvised music.

“We’re presenting the top shelf of our musicians at this event,” says Sangster.

International artists arrive in the city ever year during the festival and provide performances that offer a global perspective on the scene. Grammy-winning artists Dianne Reeves and Billy Childs Quartet will dominate the Winspear Centre during the festival. Reeves is best know for her smooth New York-style jazz vocals and the Billy Childs Quartet will provide masterful jazz compositions.

“I’m very fortunate that we have such a pool of musicians to draw from and every year we try to offer

VUEWEEKLY.com | APR 27 – MAY 03, 2017

Fri., June 23 to Sun., July 2 Edmonton International Jazz Festival Various venues a different flavour of international artists,” says Sangster.

Other international award-winning talents at this year's festival include Donny McCaslin—who worked with David Bowie on his final album Blackstar—as well as 22-year-old Jacob Collier, who recently skyrocketed into stardom by winning two Grammys this year.

In a city that is always leading a double life as a sports town and cultural hub, it is a unique challenge for the festival to remain accessible to everyone—even those who wouldn’t be attracted to traditional jazz.

“Typically jazz is thought of as music that takes effort to listen to," Sangster says. "People who are interested in this festival get to define what their jazz is. It’s not about who you know performing, but who you don’t know and exploring the unknown.”

JAKE PESARUK @VUEWEEKLY

FESTIVAL LISTINGS

EDMONTON Animethon 24 / Aug 11– Aug 13 / animethon.org Animethon is Western Canada’s largest and longest running event celebrating Japanese animation.

With guests Max Mittelman, Micah Solusod, Robbie Daymond, and more.

(Grant MacEwan City Centre Campus, 10700 104 Ave.) Cariwest / Aug 11 – Aug 13 / cariwest.ca For three days, Edmonton will be steeped with the soul and spirit of the Caribbean. Say goodbye to the office and forget the daytimers. Indulge in the colour, music and excitement of it all. Don't forget to watch the annual Cariwest parade which fills the streets of downtown with reggae, soca and dancehall beats. (Churchill Square) Canadian Food Championships / Jul 21 - Jul 23 / canadianfoodchampionships.ca Chefs from all over the world will have their dishes judged and compete for the title of World Food Champion.

The event takes place during Taste of Edmonton. (Churchill Square) Edmonton Blues Festival / Aug 25 – Aug 27 / bluesinternationalltd.com Enjoy blues music under the Heritage Amphitheatre tent. Featuring performances by Boogie Patrol, Charlie Jacobson, The Perpetrators, Jenie Thai, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and more. (Hawrelak Park) Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival / Aug 19 – Aug 21 / edmontondragonboatfestival.ca The 2000-year-old Chinese tradition of dragon-boat racing has captured the attention of international sporting scenes and been embraced by millions worldwide. This fantastic outdoor festival attracts more than 5,000 spectators and 1,500 participants each year with its with unforgettable sights and sounds.

(Louise McKinney Park) Edmonton Folk Music Festival / Aug 10 – Aug 13 / edmontonfolkfest.org This year's lineup includes City and Colour, Valerie June, Martyn Joseph and Tift Merritt. Folk Fest is a near rite of passage into Edmonton, offering an eclectic mix of music for all tastes. In addition to the hours of incredible music, the festival offers a wide range of food concessions, a family area, general store, crafts, record tent and beer gardens. (Gallagher Park) Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival / Aug 17 – Aug 27 / fringetheatre.ca For 10 captivating days in August, life is truly a stage in Old Strathcona as the the largest Fringe

Festival on the continent raises its curtain. This year will feature more than 200 unjuried and uncensored shows from around the world, an entertaining street scene as well as a plethora of food vendors and craftwork by local artisans. (Old Strathcona, various venues) Edmonton International Street Performers Festival / Jul 3 – Jul 12 / edmontonstreetfest.com Home to more than 1,500 outdoor performances from magicians, clowns, jugglers, mime artists and musicians for 10 fun-filled days.

(Churchill Square) Edmonton International Jazz Festival / Jun 23 – Jul 2 / edmontonjazz.com A variety of jazz music that resonates with the soul. Featuring performances

by Dianne Reeves, Billy Childs Quartet, Kenny Baron, and many more.

(Various venues in Edmonton) Edmonton Latin Festival / Aug 19 Aug 20/ edmontonlatinfestival.com Do you love Latin music, culture and food? Do you love Latin dancing? For two days, Churchill Square will be transformed into a Latino hotspot.

Enjoy live music, dancers, Latin food and an artisan marketplace.

(Churchill Square) Edmonton Pride Festival / Jun 9 – Jun 18 / edmontonpride.ca The Edmonton Pride Festival aims to unify and educate the community by celebrating gender and sexual diversity with a parade, Mayor's lunch, shows and more. (Whyte Avenue; various venues throughout Edmonton) Edmonton Rockfest / Aug 18 – Aug 19 / edrocks.ca We have festivals for jazz, blues and folk, why not rock? Featuring performances by Tom Cochrane & Red Rider, Prism, Trooper, and more titans of classic rock. (Hawrelak Park) Freewill Shakespeare Festival / Jun 20 – Jul 16 / freewillshakespeare.com The festival returns for its 29th season with two plays: The Merry Wives of Windsor and The Merchant of Venice.

Evening shows start at 8 pm, and matinees start at 2 pm. No shows on Mondays. (Heritage Amphitheatre, Hawrelak Park) Found Festival / Jun 22 – Jun 25 / commongroundarts.ca/foundfestival/ This festival places fresh, innovative works in unconventional spaces. Art on a bridge, in an alley or in the river valley, anywhere. (Old Strathcona)

Heart of the City Festival / Jun 3 Jun 4/ heartcityfest.com Family friendly music, food vendors and various art workshops in the heart of Edmonton. (Giovanni Caboto Park) Heritage Festival / Aug 5 – Aug 7 / heritage-festival.com/ Take a trip around the world by visiting the cultural pavilions at the Heritage Festival. Enjoy dancing and performances from all over the world, while sampling some of each country's best cuisine, too. (Hawrelak Park) Historic Festival & Open Doors Edmonton / Jul 1 – Jul 8 / historicedmonton.ca This festival is focused on enriching the community with stories of our urban and rural history. It hosts family-oriented events such as tours, workshops and activities at local museums and historic sites.

(Various venues) Improvaganza / Jun 14 – Jun 24 / rapidfiretheatre.com Rapid Fire Theatre plays host to some of the best improvisors from around the world. Other events include Theatresport matches and speciality shows. (Citadel Theatre) International Children's Festival of the Arts / Jun 1 – 4 / stalbert.ca/ exp/childfest/ Reconnect with your inner child for four days with an immersion into music, magic, theatre, circus, puppetry and just plain fun. (St. Albert Place, 5 St. Anne Street) Interstellar Rodeo / Jul 21 – Jul 23 / interstellarrodeo.com/edmonton/ Offers music lovers a chance to see some of the hottest bands and solo artists out there today. Performances TBA. (Hawrelak Park)

NUOVA Opera & Music Theatre Festival / May 20 – Jun 30 / operanuova.ca Canada's only summer opera festival is held in our very own city, which celebrates local and national operatic vocalists and chamber musicians. This year's highlights include special performances of Patience, The Cunning Little Vixen, Carousel, Eugene Onegin.

(Various venues) Pets in the Park / Jun 25 / ehspetsinthepark.com Edmonton's official pet festival aimed at raising money for animals in desperate need. Take part in the festival walk or run to really help out. (Hawrelak Park) Porkapalooza BBQ Festival / Jun 10 – Jun 11 / porkapalooza.ca Experience the art and culture of barbequing as 40 teams from Western Canada compete for over $15,000 in prizes. Festivities include food demonstrations, Bare Bones RibFest, ethnic takes on barbeque, beer gardens, and a kids zone. (Borden Park) Rock'n August / Aug 8 – Aug 12 / rocknaugust.com This four-day fest celebrates classic cars and features pancake breakfasts, music, casino nights and street dances. (Servus Credit Union Place and other venues, St. Albert) Seven Music Fest / Jul 8 / sevenmusicfest.com This festival returns with performances by The Strumbellas, The Rural Alberta Advantage, The Provincial Archive, The Elwins, and more. (Mission Park, St. Albert)

Shredmonton Metal Festival / May 12 - May 14 / shredmonton.com A metal fest like no other featuring heavy tunes by Psychotic Gardening, Unleash the Archers, Eye of Horus, Sleeping in Traffic, and many more.

(Mercury Room) Summer Solstice Music Festival / Jun 19 – Jun 27 / edmontonchambermusic.org/solstice_2016.php Celebrate the summer solstice with the sounds of Beethoven and Chopin alongside the Edmonton Chamber Music Society. (All Saints' Angelican Cathedral; Convocation Hall. (U of A) Taste of Edmonton / Jul 20 – Jul 29 / tasteofedm.ca Up to 40 local restaurants offer one savoury and one sweet dish from their menu. There's plenty of live entertainment going on too, so pace yourself with the eating frenzy.

(Churchill Square) The Works Art & Design Festival / Jun 22 – Jul 4 / theworks.ab.ca Thirteen days of free, contemporary and traditional visual art and design pieces with over 63 exhibits shown at 33 venues throughout Edmonton's downtown core.

Symhony Under The Sky, The Nat “King” Cole Songbook / Aug 31 Sep 3/ winspearcentre.com Part of the unique four-night music under the stars event, celebrating the music of one of the jazz piano greats.

(Hawrelak Park)

Kaleido Family Arts Festival / Sept 15 - Sept 17 / kaleidofest.ca For two days every year, 118 Avenue is over run by creativity with music, dance, film, art, theatre, and everything else you can think of. (118 Avebetween 90 - 94 st) K-Days / Jul 21 – Jul 30 / k-days.com The biggest thing to hit town every summer. Experience the sights and sounds of the fair with a midway, rides, shopping, food, music and, did we mention food? (Northlands) Nextfest / Jun 1 – Jun 11 / nextfest.org An array of 700+ artists, playwrights, choreographers, songwriters, spokenword raconteurs, filmmakers, rappers and artists take over 28 various locations around Edmonton for 10 days.

(Various venues)

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Festival Listings

ALBERTA Alberta festivals not in Edmonton or Calgary Alberta's Own Music and Arts Festival / Aug 18 – Aug 21 / ourfest.ca Camp out while enjoying music from some of Canada's up-andcoming artists. Lineup TBA. (Nevis, Lacombe County) Astral Harvest / Jul 14 – Jul 17 / astralharvest.com This community-minded festival celebrates music, art, knowledge and the human experience, which translates into four days of good vibes. Beats will be provided by local, national and international acts Clozee, Nu:Tone, SkiiTour, Sticky Buds, and more. (Driftpile) Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Society Festival / Aug 4 – Aug 6 / blueberrybluegrass.com/ Bring your family, friends and lawn chairs, and enjoy a weekend of bluegrass music. Don’t miss out on seeing some of the best bluegrass acts such as The Spiney Brothers, Blue Highway, and Old Man Luedecke. (Stony Plain)

Beaumont Blues & Roots Festival / Jun 16 – Jun 18 / bbrf.ca A festival that prides itself on its 100 percent Canadian lineup with blues, and folk music that’ll get the feet tapping. Music from Boogie Patrol, Raygun Cowboys, Olivia Rose, The Velveteins, and more. (Four Seasons Park, Beaumont) Big Valley Jamboree / Aug 3 – Aug 6 / bigvalleyjamboree.com Giddy up for the annual Big Valley Jamboree, which brings some of North America's top country artists out to the prairies. This year's lineup features the talents of WIllie Nelson, Keith Urban, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Chris Young, The Wine Soaked Preachers, and more. (Camrose) Canmore Folk Music Festival / Aug 5 – Aug 7 / canmorefolkfestival.com The longest-running folk music festival in Alberta. This year features Birds of Chicago, Bruce Cockburn, Whitehorse, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, and more. (Canmore) Cars & Guitars: Medicine Hat Classic Rock Festival / Aug 18 – Aug 19/ travelalberta.com/events A festival featuring classic car shows,

food vendors, outdoor beer gardens, kids' activities, local retail vendors and more. Classic rock legends Trooper, Honeymoon Suite, and Loverboy will grace the stage. (Medicine Hat)

This festival celebrates the rich heritage of Alberta's Métis with music performances, dance and cultural workshops. (Medicine Hat)

Cosmic Dream 2017/ Jun 1 – 4/ edmonton.eventful.com/cosmicdream A dance music festvial right in the heart of Carseland. Adults only.

(Range Rd 255, Carseland)

Lethbridge Jazz Festival / Jun 9 – Jun 17 / lethbridgejazz.com This year's performers include Colin James, Nobuki Takamen, Anna McBryan, Rooster Davis Group, and more. (Various venues)

East Coulee Springfest / May 5 & May 6 / ecsmuseum.ca/springfest/ Kicking off the festival season is the East Coulee Springfest, which boasts two days of blues, folk, rock, roots, country and jazz music. The festival is also a fundraiser for the East Coulee School Museum. (East Coulee)

North Country Fair / Jun 23 – Jun 25 / northcountryfair.ab.ca The closest thing to Woodstock in Alberta with music, workshops, live art, food and vendors. Featuring Birds of Chicago, Arlo Maverick, Bill Bourne, C.R Avery, The Pack A.D., Kemo Treats, and more. (Driftpile)

Extreme Mudfest / Aug 24 – Aug 27 / extrememudfest.com It's going to get really dirty as highoctane machines battle it out in the mud pits for top prizes from the Canadian Mud Racing Organization. Three Days Grace, Dallas Smith, One Bad Son, and David James will perform in the evenings. (Bonnyville)

Sasquatch Gathering 22 / Jul 28 – Jul 30 / sasquatchgathering.com Think of this festival like a huge family picnic in the park with homecooked meals. Featuring the talents of Boogie Patrol, The Party on High Street, Punch Drunk Cabaret, Nadine Kellman & the Black Wonders, and more (Rangeton Park)

The Hills Are Alive Music and Dance Cultural Fest / Jun 8 – Jun 11 / miywasin.ab.ca

South Country Fair / Jul 21 – Jul 23 / southcountryfair.com A festival that has a little something

for everyone: poetry performances, art films, street performances, rock 'n' roll music and more. (Fort Macleod) Spock Days / Jun 9 – Jun 11 / vulcantourism.com/ spock-days.html Live long and prosper with the community of Vulcan for the 25th annual Spock Days. There will be stargazing, a slo-pitch tournament, dunk tank, carnival games, and fireworks to celebrate all things Star Trek. (Vulcan) Tailcreek Mudfest 2017 / Jun 30 – Jul 2 Celebrate the Canada 150 Weekend with this offroad mud and music festival. Featuring Big Sugar, Emerson Drive, Wide Mouth Mason, and more.

Wild Mountain Music Festival / Jul 14 – Jul 16 / wildmtnmusic.ca Nestled in the foothills north of Hinton, this fest offers a serene mountain retreat with musical offerings from 54-40, David Wilcox and more.

(Hinton) Zion Noiz Music & Arts Festival 2017/ Jun 2 – 4 / zionnoiz.ca Three days of electronic music, art, and good vibes. Featuring Neon Steve, Woodhead and more. (Metis Crossing, Smoky Lake)

SASKATCHEWAN Cinergie: Saskatchewan's Francophone Film Festival / May 2 – May 7 / cinergiesk.ca This Saskatoon festival returns for its 12th year, featuring French language movies from all over the world. Don't speak French? No problem. All the films will have subtitles.

(Roxy Theatre, Saskatoon) Connect 22 / Aug 4 – Aug 7 / connectfestival.ca It's an electronic dance music party on the prairies, ya'll. The fest features plenty of local and international EDM acts. (Besant Campground, Moose Jaw) Country Thunder in Craven 2017 / Jul 13 – Jul 16 / countrythunder.com This multi-day country jammer is ostensibly the "World's Greatest Country Music Festival"—thanks in part to its lineups. Performances by Blake Shelton, Toby Keith, Keith Urban, and many more. (Craven)

16 festival Guide

Saskatoon Folkfest / Aug 17 – Aug 19 / saskatoonfolkfest.com Unlike Edmonton's festival of a similar name, which boasts musical performances on a hill, this fest showcases the multiculturalism of Saskatoon.

Festival goers take a trip around the world—visiting various locations throughout the city—to learn more about the different cultures that make up the community. (Various locations around Saskatoon) Fringe Theatre and Street Festival / Aug 3 – Aug 12/ 25thstreettheatre.org This festival has been entertaining Saskatoon locals since 1989 by offering accessible and affordable theatre shows from local and intenational artists, making it one of Saskatoon's most popular summer festivals.

(Various venues, Saskatoon)

Ness Creek Music Festival / Jul 13 – Jul 16 / nesscreekmusicfestival.com This festival focuses on the environment, keeping in mind the event's ecological footprint on the earth.

Performances by Cecile Doo Kingue, C.R Avery, Royal Canoe and more.

(Ness Creek) Northern Lights Bluegrass Festival / Aug 18 – 20 / northernlightsbluegrass.com Enjoy some of that beautiful bluegrass music. Lineup features The Foggy Hogtown Boys, Dom Flemons, Sierra Noble, and many more. (Ness Creek) Regina Folk Festival / Aug 10 – Aug 13 / reginafolkfestival.com Catch live performances from Tegan & Sara, Lights, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Coeur De Pirate and more in Saskatchewan's capital city. (Victoria Park, Regina)

Rock the River / Aug 18 – Aug 20 / rocktheriversaskatoon.ca For its third year, Saskatoon brings its classic rock festival with performances by Tom Cochrane, Randy Bachman, Helix, Streetheart, and more. (Saskatoon) Saskatoon Pride Festival 2017 / Jun 3 – 12 / saskatoonpride.com An annual festival to celebrate community while raising awareness of the LGBTQ culture. (Various locations in Saskatoon) SaskPower Windscape Kite Festival / Jun 24 – Jun 25 / windscapekitefestival.ca Yep, this festival celebrates kites, bringing more than 40 national and international kite flyers to the Saskatchewan prairies. There will be a bunch of activities to entertain the kiddies, too. (Swift Current)

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Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival / Jun 23 – Jul 2 / saskjazz.com While the festival's roots are in showcasing jazz artists, it features everything in between. This year, catch performances from Feist, The Dead South, Low, Ziggy Marley, and more.

(Various venues, Saskatoon) Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival / Jul 5 – Aug 20 / shakespeareonthesaskatchewan.com This is for the Shakepeare fans and theatre lovers. This year, head down to the Saskatchewan River to take in performances of Twelfth Night and Richard III. (Saskatoon) Taste of Saskatchewan / Jul 11 – Jul 16 / tasteofsaskatchewan.ca Get a taste of the culinary delights that Saskatoon locals indulge in by sampling foods and desserts from the city's finest restaurants.

(Kiwanis Park, Saskatoon)

FESTIVAL LISTINGS

BC ArtsWells Festival / Aug 4 – Aug 7 / artswell.com A festival that focuses on all things art. More than 100 musical acts on nine stages over four days with more than 30 workshops, and screenings of independent films. (Wells) Bella Coola Music Festival / Jul 22 – Jul 23/ bellacoolamusic.org Celebrating its 18th year, the festival's lineup includes roots music, rock, world, blues, folk and more. Also featuring an interactive children's site, food and craft vendors and workshops. (Bella Coola) Billy Barker Days / Jul 13 – 16 / billybarkerdays.ca Celebrating its gold rush heritage, this family festival features musical performances, food, and much more.

(Quesnel) Burnaby Blues & Roots Festival / Aug 12 / burnabybluesfestival. com Enjoy blues and roots music from various performers. Lineup TBA (Burnaby) Burn in the Forest / Jul 13 – Jul 16 / burnintheforest.com Want to experience Burning Man without having to fork out the big bucks? Try Burn in the Forest, which swaps out the Nevada desert for a British Columbia setting among the trees. (Squamish) Center of Gravity / Jul 8 – Jul 10 / centerofgravity.ca Dubbed as Canada's hottest beach festival, and for good reason. Three days of heavy EDM music beach volleyball and BMX will get you sweating. Lineup TBA. (Kelowna) Crankworx 2017 / Aug 11 – Aug 20 / crankworx.com A place for bike lovers and riders to gather and crown a champion.

(Whistler) Desert Daze / Aug 11 – 12 / desertdaze.ca A family-friendly summer event with live music, farm displays, a drumming presentation, supervised kids' area, beer garden, vendors, pickle making, apple bobbing, watermelon seed spitting and more. (Spences Bridge) Edge of the World Music Festival / Aug 11 – 13 / edgefestival.com Performers this year include The Zolas, David Beckingham, Dirty Radio, and more. The EOTW festival opens and closes with traditional Haida song and dance. (Queen Charlotte (Haida Gwaii) Filberg Festival / Aug 4 – 7 / filbergfestival.com Featuring more than 120 artisans,

great food and lively entertainment for all ages on the beautiful nine-acre waterfront Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park. (Comox) Gibsons Landing Jazz Festival / Jun 16 – 18 / coastjazz.com The 22nd annual festival has two days of outdoor concerts, two evening dances, Sunday jazz brunch and more.

(Gibsons Landing) Go Fest: Whistler's Great Outdoor Festival / May 20 – May 23 / greatoutdoorsfest.com Experience the great outdoors with four days of active programming from music to outdoor art workshops and sports. (Whistler) Golden Mountain Festival / May 20 – May 22 / tourismgolden. com/activities/golden-mountainfestival If your town is surrounded by the Canadian Rockies, then it only makes sense that you'd honour them. Enter Golden Mountain Festival, an annual event that celebrates the rich heritage of the mountains with musical performances, art exhibits, scavenger hunts and workshops. (Golden) Kamloopa Pow Wow / Aug 5 –7/ tourismkamloops.com A spectacular expression of the Secwepemc people's heritage and a vibrant display of storytelling, song and dance in traditional regalia.

(Kamloops)

Otalith Music Festival / Aug 18 – Aug 19 / otalithfestival.com While the drive to Tofino might be a bit of a trek, you'll be in for a treat once you arrive. Surrounded by beaches and wildlife. (Ucluelet)

two evening stages, craft and food vendors, artisan market, children's activities, beverage gardens and camping. Performers include Booker T, Braden Gates, Frazey Ford, and more. (Salmon Arm)

Vancouver Folk Music Festival / Jul 14 – 16 / thefestival.bc.ca This is the festival's 40th year featuring performances by Ferron, Archie Roach and more to be announced.

(Vancouver)

Pemberton Music Festival / Jul 13 – Jul 16 / pembertonmusicfestival.com This festival has become renowned for its universal lineup, which features musical and comedy acts in the heart of the Pemberton Valley.

Lineup TBA. (Pemberton)

Shambhala / Aug 5 – Aug 8 / shambhalamusicfestival.com World renowned electronic music festival featuring performances from A-Trak, Sticky Buds, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Jai Wolf, and many more.

(Salmo River Ranch)

Vancouver International Jazz Festival / Jun 22 – Jul 2 / www. coastaljazz.ca With performances by Seu Jorge performing a tribute to David Bowie, Nomadic Massive, Ziggy Marley, Land of Talk, and more. (Vancouver)

Midsummer Music Festival / Jun 30 – Jul 2 / smithersmusicfest.com Features four daytime stages, headline performers and dozens of local, regional and national performances from The Tourist Company, Entangados, Rusty Ford, and Miss White Spider. Opportunities for kids, crafts and organized activities plus a variety of musician workshops, and food vendors, Onsite camping available.

(Smithers)

Vancouver Island Music Fest / Jul 14 – 16 / islandmusicfest.com Six stages, riverside camping and family activities. Featuring Emmylou Harris, Bruce Cockburn, Rita Coolidge, Enter the Haggis, and more. (Comox)

Retro Concert Weekend / Aug 12 – Aug 14 / sunpeaksresort.com Tribute bands pay homage to the likes of David Bowie, Janis Joplin, Bad Company, Santana, The Eagles, and more.

Admission is free. (Sun Peaks Resort) Robson Valley Music Festival / Aug 12 – Aug 14 / robsonvalleymusicfestivalbc.com/ Listen to folk, rock and roots music in the intimate setting of the Raush Valley, located between the Rocky and Cariboo Mountains. This year's lineup includes The Party on High Street, Moulettes, Sweet Alibi and more.

(Dunster) Rockin' River Music Fest / Jul 30 – Aug 2 / rockinriver.com Four days of country music, three stages and more than 20 bands including Willie Nelson, The Band Perry, Toby Keith, and more. (Merritt)

Kaslo Jazz Etc Festival / Aug 4 – 6 / kaslojazzfest.com With performances by The Sheepdogs, Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires, A Tribe Called Red, C.R Avery, BADBADNOTGOOD, and more. (Kaslo)

Salmon Arm Roots & Blues Festival / Aug 17 – Aug 20/ rootsandblues.ca Featuring six daytime stages and

Victoria International Jazz Festival / Jun 23 – Jul 2 / jazzvictoria.ca Featuring the musical sounds of Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples, Tommy Emmanuel, and more. (Victoria) Ukee Days / Jul 21 – 23 / ukeedays. wordpress.com The seaside community of Ucluelet explodes into a summery haze of live music, parades, games, fun, food, entertainment, logger sports, kid zone, beer gardens and so much more. (Ucluelet)

Wanderlust / Aug 3 – Aug 6 / wanderlust.com Unplug from your everyday life by taking in this five-day spiritual fest that focuses entirely on the yoga lifestyle.

There will be live music from Charles Bradley & his Extraordinaires, Con Brio, Sol Rising and more. (Whistler)

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Lytton River Festival / Sept 1 – 3 / riverfestival.ca Includes a powwow, artisan craft demos and sale, children's activities and Chicken Poop Bingo. (Lytton) Mile High Wine & Music Festival / Aug 12 – Aug 13 / skisilverstar.com This is for the wine lovers out there.

Learn about wine by taking in the summery views of the Okanagan atop the SilverStar Mountain. There will be tasting events, dinners, music, seminars, art gallery viewings and hikes.

(Silver Star Resort) Motion Notion / Aug 24 – Aug 28 / motionnotion.com Unique stages featuring bands, DJs, free riverside camping, workshops, and rafting. Lineup features DATSIK, Avalon, The Funk Hunters, The M Machine, and more. (Golden)

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