PLAIN FOLK by Les Pearson Somebody should tell Regina Mayor, Pat Fiacco, that the best way to attract folks to the Queen City is not employment promises. That pile of bones rots into fertilizer faster than water evaporates from Wascana Lake on a blistering summer Sunday. Someone should tell Fiacco about the genuine boom in cultural tourism! Hidden in Regina's treasure trove is a folk festival gem. Like much that is beautiful in Saskatchewan, the Regina Folk Festival is just a little way off the Trans-Canada Highway. You have to know about it before you make this festival your final destination. Weary west-east-bound travelers, bored by miles and miles of waving wheat, stand to miss Regina's best summer bargain if they pass through the city on August 15 to 17 and fail to stop! The first folk festival was organized in 1969 by the Regina Guild of Folk Arts. This makes it one of the earliest folk festivals on the prairies. It was staged on the Regina Campus of the University of Saskatchewan. In 1985 the festival moved from various indoor venues to the open air of Victoria Park. This oasis of summer greenery sits across from the Hotel Saskatchewan in the city's downtown core. In the very early years, all concerts were free! Performers were paid with grants from the Saskatchewan Heritage Committee and Market Square merchants. When even government grants could not pay the bills, the Guild was forced to sell tickets--but only for evening concerts! Afternoon workshop performances are still free to the public. And an early bird advance ticket for three evening shows is an affordable $40. Three afternoon workshop stages continuously feature festival performers. Organizers boast that crowds of 5,000 to 7,000 attend the festival. However, for the past two years, workshop stages have attracted approximately 200 each. That's good! Prime locations to plant festival chairs and blankies abound. Need an afternoon stretch? Great food and novelty kiosks are on site. Evening shows draw close to a 1,000. But there is still ample room with reasonable views. Last year those who rushed to sit close to the show were disappointed when dancers were permitted to block views. But by the second evening organizers responded to protests and dancers were moved to stageside. Evening shows run generously from 6:00 p.m. until midnight. Do not believe that cheap means inferior. The musical line-up for this festival matches the best Canadian festivals. This year some of the featured artists include Tegan and Sara, Luke Doucet, Don Freed, Madrigaia, Kiran Ahluwalia, Painting Daisies, Geoff Berner, Stringband, and a host of others well known to CKUA and CBC listeners. What a steal of a deal! Got a relative in Regina with three days to laze in plain folk music? The Regina Folk Festival can be a free introduction to the best in folk. Just don't tell too many friends. For additional information or to order tickets call 306-757-7684 or e-mail at www.reginafolkfestival.com
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