On the Island
Apache Talk Tent | Family Programming | NMC at the Festival | Song Contest winners | Slow Food Calgary | Yoga
Apache Talk Tent / Saturday & Sunday 11:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The Folk Fest is excited to announce a new addition to our festival programming - our first ever stage dedicated to the fine art of comedy, and a place for you to get up close and personal with festival artists!
The Apache Talk Tent will run Saturday and Sunday from 11 am - 5 pm, and is programmed chock-a-block with stand up comedians, interviews, and a special celebration of the 100th birthday of Woody Guthrie. Bring your festival chair and have a seat on the grass under the tent (it will be shady! That's always nice...).
Here's the full schedule, and click on any of the artists below to read their bio.
Am I Right?
Atomic Improv
Chris Fairbanks
Richard Flohil
Cory Mack
Kevin McDonald
Derek Seguin
Walking Woody's Road
Family Area / Saturday & Sunday 11:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Unleash your creative spirit and engage your senses in the family area, where entire families play together, enjoy hands-on activities and see wonderful performers. Here are some highlights:
- Crafts – design and decorate your own puppet. There'll also be a mural for children to develop and show off their artistic skills.
- Activities – get physical with the climbing wall and our inflatable Astro-Jump bouncers. Have fun with the large parachute game, have your face painted, play with bubbles, foot fishing and engage in games
Family Area Programming
Shelley Bean and the Ducketymuds
Shelley Chase is an early childhood educator, day camp leader, entertainer, musical theatre and cartoon instructor who creates magical and interactive memories for her young charges through a love of the arts. Part of the Mr. Dress-Up generation, she believes children are still enchanted by puppets, new crayons and heartfelt melodies. In her Shelley Bean persona, she draws upon a colourful Atlantic Canadian folk music repertoire, weaving joy and community through every lively performance, giving each young person – and their parents and caregivers - the courage to sing loudly and dance freely.
Saturday 1:00 pm / 4:00 pm • Sunday 11:00 am / 1:00 pm
James Jordan Carnival Magician
James has devoted his life to learning the unique blend of vaudeville and circus that make up the forgotten carnival art form he discovered as a child. His one-of-a-kind carnival themed shows create a magical midway atmosphere with the thrill of the games, the amazement of the magic and the excitement of the jugglers all captured in one show, provided by one man.
Saturday 12:00 pm / 2:00 pm • Sunday 2:00 pm
Ellis Paul
Ellis Paul is one of folk music’s most incisive and intimate songwriters. Now a doting father, his family album, Dragonfly Races, bubbles with buoyant, hummable songs that appeal to kids and parents. His allegorical fairy tales turn lazy dragonflies, gentle monsters and resilient roses into useful metaphors for world peace, the power of faith and the delights of a sleepy day.
Sunday 3:00 pm
Wagonstage – Raccoon Rescue
When gramps discovers a family of raccoons living in his attic, he calls in Anton the Exterminator. Their plans are thwarted when 10-year-old science enthusiast Tracy rescues them and helps return them to their natural home by the creek. A partnership between the University of Calgary and City of Calgary.
Saturday 1:00 pm / 4:00 pm • Sunday 12:00 pm / 4:00 pm
National Music Centre
Located beside the record tent, in the central part of the Island
In partnership with the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the National Music Centre presents the Great Canadian Music Challenge - a fun and interactive digital trivia game that tests players' knowledge of Canadian music, from the members of Rush to the lyrics of great Canadian songs. The National Music Centre gives Canada a place that amplifies the love, the sharing and the understanding of music through collections that serve as a foundation for public education programs, presenting performances, the development of new music and fostering partnerships across the Canadian musical spectrum. For more information, visit www.nmc.ca or call (403) 543-5115.
Ship and Anchor/ Calgary Folk Music Festival Songwriting contest
The 9th Annual Contest victors perform their winning songs on the Ship and Anchor stage at Prince's Island on Sunday July 29. The winners of the 2012 song contest are Katie Anderson (Sonic Youth), Kevin Maimann (Untapped Newcomer), Indio Saravanja (Beaver Tales) and Joe Nolan (Pros and Prose)
Slow Food Calgary
Visit the farm at the corner of concession row to meet local producers, enjoy some dishes and snap up some fruit and vegetables from the produce stand. Producers change daily.
Morning Yoga – back of mainstage field
Before the music begins, start your day with some energizing stretches. Saturday and Sunday, 9:45-10:30 am.
