Winnipeg Folk Festival Guide
This page is to help remember what things to bring to the festival and what to leave at home. It’s a good starting place for people making their first trip to the festival.
Festival Introduction
The festival opens each day in the late morning and runs until midnight. Because you spend so much time at the festival it is important to have everything that you need and want with you. It sounds annoying to carry a bunch of stuff around all day, but because of the way the festival is set-up, it isn’t too bad.
There are different music stages during the day that all have their own schedule and space. Each stage is in a different general area. You walk to a stage, put down your stuff and use that area as a base camp until you want to move to a different stage. You might move your stuff a couple of times each day, but in general you stay put for awhile.
You are not crammed into a small space, in fact you generally have lots of room to put your stuff and spread out. If you want to get closer to the music, you can leave your stuff behind and go up to the stage and dance for awhile.
In the evening there is only one stage. People bring tarps and at a point during the day you can go and stake down your tarp. You can leave stuff on your tarp during the day, and at night you and all of your stuff lives on your tarp. 3 or 4 people usually share a tarp.
One comment about seating. Most people sit on blankets or “low chairs”, essentially a backrest that sits on the ground. Sitting in a full-chair would be considered rude unless you went to the very back of the area so nobodys view was blocked.
The main stage is where you typically eat dinner. If you would like more info. on the folk festival check out their website. There is a lot of information about peformers, food, handmade village and other activities that happen at the festival.
Stuff to Bring
- Sunscreen
- Tarp for main stage (only those staking out mainstage space need this)
- Blankets to sit on
- Reading materials
- Camera
- Hat
- “Low Chair” (something to support your back, but sits on the ground)
- Cooler of Water
- Warm clothes for evening
- Rain Jacket or Poncho
- ID and/or Passport for crossing into Canada
- Binoculars
- Flashlight (useful when leaving at night)
- Pocket Knife (always handy)
Kids Stuff to Bring
Stuff to Consider Bringing
Stuff to Not Bring
Logistics
Crossing the Border
It can be easy to forget that going to Canada is actually international travel. For example, cell phone calls from Canada to the US while you are at the festival will be billed at an international rate.
In general crossing the border into Canada is painless and a breeze. Getting back into our homeland can be a different question entirely. There are new regulations going into effect right now that are now requiring a passport for air travel between the US and Canada. This regulation is going to be cascaded down to crossing by land, but that appears to not be having until January 1, 2008.
Given the above, in 2007 you should still be able to cross with a drivers license and certified bith certificate. However, if you have a passport just bring it and make your life simpler. In 2008 a passport will be required to go to the festival.
Remember also to bring birth certificates for any small children traveling with you.
References: DHS Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative Reference
