Leif Norman photographer

The First day of the Winnipeg Folk Fest 2013!

I headed out about 1pm to catch the preparations!

People are keen for the main event to start. The Winnipeg Folk Fest is the keystone weekend for many people because it acts like a Solstice or a birthday for their year to pivot on. This is why people are sitting by the front gate for 3 more hours, ready with their tarps, to walk briskly (no running!) and get a choice spot in front of Main Stage for tonights show. People are also waiting in a field of cars, surrounded by many many other cars, with girls sitting on hoods playing Backstreet Boys songs on Ukuleles, waiting to get into the campsite, and hopefully get that choice spot to set up the tents, and lean tos, and hammocks and drum sets. Wait! No Drum Sets! Djembés are OK though.
In this long line of cars I found Bruce and Diana from Wisconsin who have been to pretty much every fest for the last thirty years. This is their big summer event, driving up to Manitoba for the Folk Fest. This is where they first discovered Xavier Rudd and Ani DiFranco, and this is where, for the first time in thirty years, they will set up camp in the “noisy” campground. In honour of the 40th Folk Fest Bruce and Diana decided to experience the Fest to the fullest, along with the late night drum jams, wandering poets, coloured lights and experimental architecture. Did I mention that they look like they are closer to sixty than fifty? I didn’t ask. But I hope to find them on Sunday night, and ask them how their weekend went. Did I mention that I’m too much of a suck to camp it out with the rest of the hardcores? And I’m closer to thirty than fifty.