Music filled the heart of the city Friday as Regina Folk Festival kicked off its 47th year.
The music festival, a Regina staple since 1969, boasts 35 artists from around the world including acts like Sam Roberts Band, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, and up-and-comers The Strumbellas.
While popular artists dot the line-up, artistic director and CEO, Sandra Butel, said she hoped festival goers will also stumble across something new.
“The goal is to give the audience something to discover and to give them the opportunity to feel good,” Butel said.
The festival features three stages in Victoria Park and one on the Scarth Street pedestrian mall. The downtown location provides a welcome boost to businesses in the area.
But with more traffic comes more garbage. This year, Folk Fest organizers set a goal of directing 90% of waste away from the landfill in a new green initiative.
According to the Regina Folk Fest website, volunteers stationed at waste disposal bins will “educate our audience on how to properly dispose of their waste by sorting them into 4 different barrels.”
“A lot of the waste that is here is food waste,” environment team lead Robyn Pitawanakwat said.
“We’re directing it away from the landfill into compost.”
Regina Folk Fest runs from Aug 5th to Aug 7th. Daytime programming is free from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Main-stage shows, which start at 5 p.m., require tickets.