Canmore Folk Music Festival

Other Sources:

Articles and Reviews:

• Canmore’s folk fest has come a long way since days of square dancing, lederhosen-wearing school children. By Rob Alexander. (SolaraLife, Issue No 17, July 2005)
  http://www.solaralife.com/July05/2_3.html
• Various Artists, Canmore Folk Festival, Canmore, Alberta, Canada, July 30-August 1, 2005. By Vonnie Carts-Powell (Green Man Review)
  http://www.greenmanreview.com/live/live_canmore_07_30_05.html
• Folk Fest lures reunited Stringband to this year’s stage. By Carol Picard, Editor (Rocky Mountain Outlook, Issue 20, May 15, 2003; archived)
  http://www.outlook-rockies.ca/

Practical Info:

Venues:

• Centennial Park in downtown Canmore
  Main Gate—located on 5th Avenue
  Re-entry Gate (2)—5th Street and 7th Street.

Tickets:

• Buying tickets
  
  • In person
    Ticketmaster outlets
  • Banff
    The Phone Store—207 Bear Street
    The Bear and the Butterfly—214 Banff Avenue
  • Canmore
    The Tin Box—33, 837 8th Street
    The Phone Store—5, 1000 7th Avenue
• Online
  http://www.canmorefolkfestival.com/ticketform.html
• Prices
  
  • Festival passes run from $25 for a one-day pass to $65 for the three day pass for adults at the gates, while seniors and youth are $3 and $9 respectively. Children under 5 are free. A pass for Saturday evening is $20 for adults and $3 for seniors and youth. Advance passes for adults are cheaper.

Gate information:

• Saturday—The Advance Ticket Gate opens at 5:00 p.m. The Main Gate opens at 5:30 p.m.
  Sunday and Monday—The Advance Ticket Gate opens at 9:30 a.m. The Main Gate opens at 10 a.m.
• Advance Seating by Piper Only
  People who have purchased tickets in advance receive priority for seating at the Canmore Folk Festival. Advance ticket holders who wish to claim seats early should line up at the advance ticket gate before 5:00 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday and Monday. Nobody can claim seating space before the piper pipes the queue from the advance ticket gate across the soccer field. Piping takes place at 5:00 p.m. and at 9:30 a.m. The main ticket gate will open to admit patrons at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and Monday. Please note that you must be present to receive a wristband at either gate.

Tourism

• Canmore, Alberta
  http://www.canmorealberta.com/
• Town of Canmore Official Website—Cultural Directory
  http://www.gov.canmore.ab.ca/
• Travel in Alberta
  http://www.travelinalberta.com/CanadianRockiesMenu.cfm

How to get there:

• By plane
  
  • Calgary International Airport
    http://www.calgaryairport.com/
  • Car rentals are available at the Airport. In addition there are many shuttle services which will get you directly to Canmore.
• By bus
  
  • Greyhound provides affordable bus transportation from downtown Calgary to Canmore Town Centre.
  • http://www.greyhound.ca/en/
  • In Calgary
877 Greyhound Way SW, Calgary. 
Phone: 1-800-661-8747
• By car
  
  • Canmore is located just outside the entrance to Banff National Park on the Trans Canada Highway (Highway #1) approximately 106 kilometers (66 miles) west of Calgary. The drive from Calgary is on a divided double-lane highway and takes you from the prairies, through the foothills and into the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Canmore is the first major town you’ll find on your drive west through the Canadian Rockies, and there are 3 exits off the Trans Canada Highway.
• Transportation in and around Canmore
  
  • As there are no convenient means of public transportation to get around town (except for cabs) it is advisable to come with a car, or rent a car.

Festival Etiquette/Site Restrictions:

• Height Restrictions on Festival Chairs Apply. Restrictions are as follows: chairs must be a maximum of 24” from the ground. This includes a maximum leg height of 8”! There will be a designated area for taller lawn chairs at each stage at the rear of the crowd.
• Tarp / Blanket size is restricted to 6 feet x 8 feet. All tarps, blankets, chairs, etc. must be removed by the end of each day. The festival is not responsible for articles left behind. We urge you to bring “individual rain gear” so as not to block the view (of the stage) from your neighbours. Please, do not bring large umbrellas or “group covers”.
• NO alcohol is permitted on, or sold at the site.
• Please leave your pets at home as they are not permitted on/near the festival grounds.
• NO recording devices please.
• NO bicycles on the site: bike racks are placed near the entrance gate for your convenience.

Amenities and Site Information:

• First Aid: Saint John’s Ambulance is on site - and the Hospital is only moments away. Allergies: It is prudent to wear Medical Alert identification (bracelet, necklace, card) and carry emergency allergy medication.
• Water—drinking water is located near the food booths.
• Toilets—building is located near the food booths; portable toilets are also stationed in this area (near the fence).
• Telephones—There is no longer a pay phone on-site. Closest public phone is by Marra’s Grocery (638 8 Street).
• Banks/Money machines—on Main Street, one block from festival site. VISA and MasterCard accepted only at the Festival Music Shop.
• Lost & Found—check in at the Festival Information/Security booth. If you have lost something and didn’t realize it while you’re here, call/fax (01) 403-678-2524, or email info@canmorefolkfestival.com.
• Lost/need help? Just ask someone in a “volunteer” T-shirt.
• Recycling: We urge you to recycle. Bring your own cups/plates/utensils if possible. There are specially marked containers around the site for bottles/cans/etc. as well as receptacles for garbage.
• Smoker?—Please move away from the audience or stage area, as well as from the food vendors and children’s activities. Please do not throw your cigarette butts on the ground. Bring a metal container (a soup can works) to store your butts and ashes until you leave, then discard them in one of the butt-out pails you’ll see around the site, or a garbage container—check and make certain there are no live butts/ashes.
• Recycle your Festival Program. Leave it with the Gate Staff when you leave, or keep it as a souvenir. NOTE—some of the stores give a “discount on purchase, with your Festival Program”.
• Keep the Park Clean

Do you have an update or more information about this festival? Email us at updates@kadmusarts.com
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