Torie’s Top Tips for Folk Fest Rookies

If you’ve never ben to the Calgary Folk Music Festival (Folk Fest to locals) you’re in for a treat this weekend. Here are some tips to keep in mind.

• As most of you know, parking downtown requires a lot of patience and cash. Given its proximity to C-Train stations and bus stops, Folk Fest is a lot easier to get to via public transit. For those coming from the north, hop off at the 3^rd Street Station and head towards the river on 3^rd Street SW.  Anyone coming from the south should get off at the 4^th Street Station.
• The festival runs rain or shine so make sure you check the weather before heading to the island every day. At the moment, it’s sun, sun, sun on the weekend with some rain on Friday but as we all know, Calgary weather is anything but predictable. Pack some sunscreen and a poncho in case Mother Nature wants to switch up what she’s previously told meteorologists.
• Bring your own water bottle. There will not be any bottled water sold on site but there are several water stations for attendees to fill up at. They’re very diligent in watching water levels so don’t worry about them running out.
• Bring a tarp or blanket to sit on. Even if you plan on dancing the days away, it’s nice to have somewhere to relax. If you’re not a blanket or tarp person, festival chairs are available to buy on site. Regular sized lawn chairs are not permitted on the grounds.
• Attendees are allowed to bring their own food with them (which is great for those of us on a budget!) but make sure you try out some of the tasty meals for sale. It’s not Stampede style festival food – it’s a lot more substantial, varied and won’t make you feel like you put cement in your stomach.
• Take in some of the workshops. The unpredictability of throwing musicians together and letting them jam allows for once-in-a-lifetime magic.
• Plan! There’s a lot going on all weekend and while you can’t take it all in, if you take a look at a schedule, you can maximize what you are able to see.
• Yoga junkie? On the weekend, morning stretches will be held at 9:45 through 10:30
• If you’re on Twitter, follow @calgaryfolkfest for any last-minute questions.

Do you have any pearls of wisdom to add?

Tagged as: Folk Fest, yoga