Winnipeg, Manitoba
After Churchill I had one last day in Manitoba, and it was a sunny one at the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Now beneath my jaded exterior that berates barefooted gringos for not wearing shirts in restaurants I’m actually an undercover hippie. In fact some of my favourite musicians never wear shoes.
Gasp! I know.
The great thing about Winnipeg is that although they bring in big names like KD Lang, Tegan and Sarah and Blue Rodeo, they try to build the festival around up and comers so people can discover new music.
The festival is this crazy mix of families and hippies intermingling. There are drum circles, lots of vegan and vegetarian options, and so many stages if you don’t like one band just head over to another.
It was a nice day of people watching and I wanted to share my favourites with you.
These girls were not coming from the beach, most people here wore as little as possible.
There were lots of children running around the festival and this one caught my eye, completely enthralled with blowing bubbles for most of a concert.
The wonderful thing about the festival was that it was such a diverse group of people. In amongst the skimpily clad hippies dancing in the sunshine, there were families alongside them dancing to the music. This family just had their faces painted.
I saw so many hula hoopers around the festival grounds. I was so tempted to get one of my own, but then I’d need appropriate attire like hers.
The music is pretty incredible too with my favourite being Valerie June from Tennessee playing on a stage so small people just sat on the grass, relaxing in the sun.
In some ways I write this post with regret because I can’t properly convey how much fun it was, but I spent so much time just laying in the sun next to the concert stages the blog took a back seat. I was really sad to go back to the hotel because I wanted to be one of the campers that stayed there all week.
But fingers crossed I hope to go back next year and if I do I’ll share a lot more!
That line-up had me weighing the pros and cons of a flight back to Canada for the weekend.
I mean, how can a festival go wrong with Fred Penner!?
I know, he’s the best isn’t he?
Fabulous pics! It’s been way too long since I’ve been to a festival. That singer on stage is gorgeous.
She had an amazing voice as well.
Yeah she is! I think I’m in love…
Sounds like a wonderful festival! Lots of nice pictures too.
Where are the pictures of you in your hippy attire laying barefoot in the grass with your face painted?
No hippie attire, but I will pack it if I go next year!
Wow, talk about living the life! Later this year, I plan to do the same. My project for 2012 is to visit 12 countries, and spend a month in each.
Sounds fantastic, where do you want to go.
Love the picture of the guy with the tattoo on his back!
Manitoba is growing on me! It’s really cool to read about festivals, and this one sounds and looks like a lot of fun!
Fabulous!
It looks small enough to be intimate, yet looks really professional. I love the fact that families were enjoying everything too.
Some of the music festivals in Australia are just too damn big these days. (And loud and expensive).
Great photos, Ayngelina! The one of the little girl blowing bubbles is priceless. So cute.
Love love love the photos! Feels like we were just there ourselves, people watching!
Sounds like a great festival mate and as always beautiful photos.
Folks festivals are always ground zero for stellar people watching — looks like you had fun!
The festival looks/sounds really cool!! Great pics.
Great job capturing photos of the festival. That can be hard to do!
OK, this might be sad but the little girl blowing bubbles? I WANT HER DRESS.
Winnipeg, I was there once i November, and my first shock was seeing a car drive past me in downtown with a dead deer on the roof. ???
It is okay to put your blog on the backburner for a bit. 😛
Love the pic of the little girl. I’m still working on getting pictures of people like that.
AWESOME!!!! I love festivals especially when music is involved. I am digging that girls dreads. I wish I had the guts to do dreads. What a great experience that you will never forget….and always you have some amazing footage of the event.
Silly Canadians — the second it gets hot, it’s time to take all your clothes off! Looks like a blast!
So true, as soon as it gets just above freezing we put our shorts on – we don’t like to waste good weather!
This looks amazing! I have geard good things about the folk festival. One day I will go to Canada and check it out for mysef.
James
AARRGGGG I missed Folk Fest this year! I guess I can be exempt this year because I am living in New Zealand on a working holiday visa but still….. ack! I hope you are enjoying my home town!!
It has been such a great time. I really want to go back next year.
Great photographs, full of character! Sounds like a fun festival
Wow, this seems like such a fun, relaxed atmosphere.
All the music festivals over here (like Reading, Glastonbury, Download, etc.) always end up a mass of people squashed together, drunk and high, in wellies having a crazy, loud (but fun) time. Then at 4am, they crawl into their tents until the next day is starts all over again. 🙂
Great Pics Ayngelina! I have volunteered at the WFF for the past dozen years, and Shawna has as well ever since we met. I highly recommend this, if you are looking to save cash and attend the festival. They look after their volunteers very well…it has always been one of our favourite weekends of the summer. It was a bugger to miss it this year due to travel, but what can you do??!!
It’s tough to feel sorry when I know where you were!
Fantastic pictures, I did not know about this festival; thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m a little late to this article but was surprised to see Valerie June playing there. She’s a Memphis mainstay and I actually saw her perform at the downtown farmer’s market.
You may be interested to see this clip of her that another friend of mine who runs livefrommemphis did with her….a mobile music machine…pretty friggin’ incredible.
Anyway, just thought I would share a little bit of Memphis with you…
Hilarious but I am the guy with the back tattoo.
Incredible. How did you find this post?