It’s going to be a hot weekend for the 49th Regina Folk Festival (RFF), but the heat isn’t expected to hurt attendance. The longest running folk festival in Canada is expected to draw in 5,000 people nightly to the main stage and more than 15,000 people for the daytime shows.
“We’ve really pushed the envelop in terms of what inclusivity means at the festival in terms of the artists that are here, the organizations that we are working with and the amount of reaching out to the communities to (make sure) they know they’re welcome to all the free stuff of the festival,” RFF artistic director Sandra Butel said.
It’s the first year RFF is offering a ‘Jump the Line’ pass. Now concert goers won’t have to sit in line all day to secure a good spot to the main stage, the vouchers are first come first serve and handed out at 10 a.m. each morning of the festival.
“So we took care of those people. It will also allow them on Saturday and Sunday to go watch the shows instead of sitting in line and if they want to still sit in line, they can. The line then is looser because you’re not as desperate to get your spot,” Butel said.
For local artist Ava Wild, playing at the festival will mark an exciting new memory, for years she used to be in the crowd, but this year will be the first time she will be on stage.
“I wish I could crowd surf or something because they’re my friends but it is all friends and family,” Wild said.
“I feel like every time I do a show in Regina I’m like I know all of you guys, now I’ve never actually met them but I’m like, we’re one mutual friend away from you being a dinner guest at my house or something.”
“It’s a really nice feeling. I will hopefully test out some new songs.”
The Regina Folk Festival goes until Sunday with Michael Franti and Spearhead closing out the show.