Festival Blog
CBC coverage
Volunteers get married at Calgary Folk Fest
By CBC News
A couple flew from Hong Kong to tie the knot at the Calgary Folk Fest, where they spent a decade as volunteers.
Penny Cavanagh and Kevin McEvoy got the idea while planning their wedding from Hong Kong, where they teach
"Kevin and I were talking about where we could go for a venue and he laughed and said, 'Well we like being outside and we like the folk fest so why don't we give that a try?' and I looked at him with my mouth agape," said Cavanagh.
The idea turned into reality on Friday afternoon as the couple tied the knot in front of about 60 friends and family backstage in a grassy area, just minutes after a sound check by singer Michael Franti.
Cavanagh said it was important for friends and family to be a part of the festival that brought them together.
"I think that there are about 50-odd people out of our guest list that are coming that have never experienced the folk festival and I'm really hoping that they'll see just why we love it so much," she told CBC News.
Added McEvoy before the nuptials: "It's just a really nice environment, you know. It's casual, nobody seems all that uptight. There'll be no ties at the wedding for sure."
Les Siemieniuk, the festival's general manager, said he didn't hesitate when approached with the plan.
"They're part of the family and everybody's on board with this. The rest of us will pick up the slack and do the work," he said. "They can have two hours and get married and have a little celebration."
Having saved money on a DJ, the newlyweds said they were looking forward to Franti, Friday's headliner, for their wedding music.
