Regina Folk Festival kicking off 50th anniversary in style

When the Regina Folk Festival began 50 years ago it was run by the local artists and held in March.

"It was indoors. It was individual tickets," said festival artistic director and CEO Sandra Butel. "I mean they were a dollar, but it was still individual tickets for the indoor stuff."

Since 1985, RFF has been held downtown under the outdoor canopy of blue skies and stars.

Butel said the festival has grown over the last 50 years, yet at its core it remains the same.

"The heart of the festival has been drawing the community together and giving an opportunity for people to share their stories," she said. "There's still artists up on stage, but it's also run by this huge group of volunteers and staff and you know we have so many partners working with us."

Some of the acts gracing the main stage for this year's festival are Blue Rodeo, Ruth B, A Tribe Called Red, AfrotroniX, The Dead South and Colter Wall to name a few.

But there are some lesser known artists also worth checking out, Butel said.

"You know, for me, it's always those artists that nobody's heard of before," she said. "Both the first two bands on Friday night, Emilie Kahn and Weaves are absolutely fantastic."

They have also put together a number of special projects to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

There will be a choir that will perform. Saskatchewan's own Megan and Jenna Nash have rewritten some old folk tunes and bring new voices to the songs.

New Dance Horizons is doing five special dances for each decade of the festival and focus on the theme of family.

There is plenty of construction happening around Victoria Park, but Butel said the work will be on hold during the festival.

"They're not going to be working on it," she said. "We've been doing a lot of conversations and negotiations with the city and they are a full partner in making sure that people have access to the festival and that they can enjoy it while it's here."

She also doesn't think noise from the nearby Garth Brooks concert will be a hindrance.

"It depends where the wind is going and you might hear a little bit," she said, but added, "We're pumping out some volume as well so the chance that you can't hear our show is pretty slim."

Butel said she enjoys seeing all the hard work come to fruition during the weekend, but her favourite time each year are always those first moments of the festival.

"It's that look on the audience's faces when they meet the artist and the artist meets them. I like that place where the artist and audience connect because this is about connection," said Butel.

The festival runs through Sunday in Regina's Victoria Park.