by Stephen Whitworth

Regina Folk Festival
Victoria Park

Aug. 10-13

Are you excited for the 2017 Regina Folk Festival? Of course you are! If you’re not, I need you to head to a mirror right now and let me know what you see. Is your skin grey and sunken? Are your bones protruding more than usual? Do you smell like coffins and embalming fluid? No wonder you’re not interested in the folk fest! You’re dead. Also, since you’re walking into bathrooms and gawking at mirrors, you may be a zombie. And if that’s the case, I have to ask: why aren’t you drooling with excitement over this thing? The other zombies all are. They LOVE folk festival weekend!

Anyway, this column is all about how to have fun at the Regina Folk Festival. I don’t claim to be Regina’s Expert Of Fun, but I have been to a few (17!) of these things, so I have a notion or two. Also I’ve grown very old and everybody knows that it’s kind to listen to the elderly. It makes them feel valued. So pay attention, you kids!

Right!

DO: HIT THOSE DAY STAGES
The best thing about the Regina Folk Fest is the music. The day stages have piles of it — so much that it’s impossible to catch it all. Even better: different artists jam together in more casual and spontaneous ways than they do on the main stage. Best of all: this stuff is FREE AS FOLK. Didn’t have cash for a ticket in the rapidly disintegrating Saskatchewan economy? No problem! Fantastic musicians will play for you, for free! WOW!

DO: APPRECIATE A FESTIVAL THAT VALUES FEMALE TALENT
Do you ever notice how some music festivals have line-ups mostly made up of male artists? To the point where it feels like organizers went out of their way to check musicians for penises before they booked them? I’m asking because I’ve never noticed that about, say, a country music festival, but who knows, maybe you have. In any case, the Regina Folk Festival does its part to fight sexist industry nonsense by bringing in star female acts. This year’s event has Tegan and Sara, Coeur de Pirate and Lights, just for starters. No one is down on dudes but it’s great to have a festival that often elevates women. Hooray!

DON’T: SMOKE WEED IN VICTORIA PARK
There’s a bylaw against that, with fines and everything. Oh sure, everyone pretends the bylaw is about regular cigarettes, but, no. Duh.

DO: HAVE FUN!
Even if you’re a crabby, smelly zombie. See you at the fest!