Outside the gates of Folk Fest
by Katie Turner
While the music may be happening behind the fences of Calgary’s Folk Music Festival, there’s a different kind of party outside the gates.
Friday afternoon saw hundreds of festival-goers waiting in line from the main gates all the way to the pedestrian bridge across Memorial Drive.
Those in line come prepared with chairs, snacks and reading materials. Photo by Kelsey Hipkin
This is a common occurrence during the four-day festival and has even become a tradition for many Calgarians.
“(I wait in line) to get a good spot to see the main-stage,” said Lynne Darlington, who has been coming to Folk Fest for 19 years. “If you’re too far back from the main-stage, I feel out of it.”
Not only is getting in line early crucial to scoring a sweet spot on the grass, but Darlington said it’s a great way to meet new people.
“It’s relaxing, you get to watch the people go by, and people are friendly, everyone’s happy,” she said.
Kate Marlow and friend waited in line for the third year in a row amongst hundreds of other Folk Fest fans. Photo by Kelsey Hipkin.
Fellow folk-lover Kate Marlow agreed that waiting in line isn’t as boring as it seems.
“It’s fun, you meet people,” she said. “It’s a good atmosphere and you get to sit out in the sun for hours at a time and not do anything. It’s like a vacation.”
Darlington said that while she was looking forward to seeing Michael Franti and Spearhead, Folk Fest always offers some surprises, which makes the wait worthwhile.
“I always have a favourite by the time I’m done that I’d never heard of before I came.”
