For those who know it well, Calgary Folk Music Festival is a must-attend event. Each year the solid crew of organizers and loyal festival-enthusiasts come together to create a lively pop-up community in Prince’s Island Park. This year the festival brings sunshine, music, vendors, and all around good times to downtown Calgary from July 21-24.

Music and festival culture in Calgary seem to get better and better each year. With the addition of the National Music Centre in East Village, Inglewood’s Music Mile, events at Fort Calgary like X-Fest, pop-up Bass Bus dance parties, and tons of other great community events, living in INK means you will be right in the thick of it all.

A short 8-minute bike ride from INK, Folk Fest on Prince’s Island is just another reason why East Village life is so amazing.

Going into my fourth year attending the festival (still a newbie – I know!), there are many reasons why I keep returning.

Escape the city

Even though Princes Island Park is smack in the middle of downtown Calgary, when you are at Calgary Folk Music Festival, you can’t help but feel like you have been transported to a festival in the woods.

Surrounded by trees, with the banks of the Bow River on either side, the festival is peaceful refuge from the traffic and skyrises. It is truly magical. Don’t believe me? You’ll just have to go to find out…

Find new music

Folk Fest organizers continue to knock it out of the park year after year, booking an eclectic mix of big-ticket names and lesser-known gems. One of the best things about the festival is stumbling upon an artist you haven’t heard before and being blown out of the water.

From captivating, international spectacles like DakhaBraka, to all-out mainstage dance parties (hello…Thievery Corporation!), to feel-good interactive shows like Kid Koala’s hilarious crowd-wide paper airplane fight, you’re guaranteed to find something amazing.

Don’t worry about planning out your whole weekend. If you don’t know a lot of the acts, just follow the buzz. Listen to recommendations from others and go with the flow; you definitely won’t be disappointed.

Meet new friends

Sure, every festival has a beer garden, but there’s something special about this one. In all of the festivals I have been to, the vibes on the Island during Folk Fest are seriously unmatched. This place is like an episode of Cheers; everywhere you turn you are guaranteed to run into someone you know, share a beer or sangria, and then meet their friends. It’s absolutely perfect.

Heads up though, it is super easy to chill in the gardens all day and float between conversations. Rallying your crew to leave and see a show is sometimes challenging. In that case, grab a new friend for the show and rejoin your posse later, no biggie!

Eat all the things

There is a literal smorgasbord of delicious things to feast on at the Folk Fest. Come hungry because the food trucks will be out in full force and you’re going to want to try everything.

Fest staples: Keep hydrated with freshly squeezed lemonade, scoop a big bag of kettle-corn to share with friends on the tarp, and hit up the BBQ or taco trucks for something a bit more substantial.

Create memories

Get ready to have sore abs on Monday; there will be laughs!

Amazing things happen when you least expect it, and Folk Fest is the perfect environment for that. The whole weekend is super relaxed; a no-stress zone for you to kick back with your besties and just hang. You’re on an island; you don’t have anywhere else to go or anywhere else to be. You’re focused on each other and that is when the magic happens.

From huddling five people under one umbrella to doubling a friend on your bicycle at the end of the night; this is what it is all about people. Embrace these four days with each other and let the memories happen.

Bonus!

See the pandemonium here: Running of the tarps at Calgary Folk Music Festival

Folk Fest has carved out a unique place in the hearts of Calgarians and this is one event you won’t want to miss this summer.

I will be at the festival all weekend, so if you need an early-morning tarp running buddy or if you want to swap music recommendations, shoot me a message at erin@battistella.ca.

And, if you want to find out how you can make East Village your launch pad for amazing events like Folk Fest, give us a shout at 403.452.9268.

Happy folk-festing!

Erin @ Battistella

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More:

Erin’s 2016 Calgary Folk Music Festival Picks

Calgary Folk Festival 2016 lineup announced

Kathleen Edwards, Cat Power, New Pornographers booked for 2016 Calgary folk festival

Twitter: @calgaryfolkfest

Facebook: Calgary Folk Music Festival