The 38th edition of Folk on the Rocks has come and gone after the festival wrapped after a weekend that organizers have characterized as "seamless."
A total of 36 different acts performed over the three-day festival, starting in Somba K’e plaza on Friday afternoon before wrapping up Sunday evening with a closing performance by the Yellowknives Dene Drummers.
Ashley Makohoniuk, the festival’s president, said while the performer lineup is the biggest part of the festival, it was some of the smaller amenities the public noticed at this year’s event.
“I know a lot of people who attend and obviously I’m always curious as to how people are feeling. I got a ton of congratulations and kudos people commented on nice little things that had been added like lights in the beer gardens and the signs that have gone up. All those little things that weren’t so seamless in the past,” said Makohoniuk.
This year there was increased focus on the small details that can make a festival run smoothly, she said. That included adding extra measures to cut down on the size of lines and the length of wait times by changing the way they issued tickets at the door.
“Getting our ticketing outdoors, our executive director talked to the board about it and we were on board,” said Makohoniuk. “A volunteer helped with getting a ticketing booth outside the entrance. So we moved the people that already had a ticket to a different line from the people that needed a ticket.”
The attention to small details didn’t go unnoticed by the festival attendees. One attendant in the beer garden on Sunday made sure to make a special note of it when asked how his weekend was going.
“This is my fourth or fifth time at the festival and it’s probably been one of the best festivals yet,” said Matthew Lacousta, who travelled from Hay River. “Everything's been moving faster, everyone seems to be having a good time and I’m sure there will be lots of dancing tonight.”
While it was the small details that impressed the crowd at the beer garden, the big picture for many remained the Canadian North Main Stage. This year’s musical line-up was highlighted as being 50 per cent artists from the north and 50 per cent artists from the south. Organizers also made efforts to include acts with women in lead positions. Carmen Braden was one of those northern artists that had the opportunity to play the main stage.
“I think in my 31 years of life I’ve missed maybe three Folk on the Rocks so it's good. But, this is the first time I've got to play the mainstage as a solo act myself, that means a lot to me,” said composer-performer Braden.
“Folk on the Rocks is known across the country so it gives you street cred for other festivals, but it's also a really nice time to see the people who know you locally and have supported you for years.”
Makohoniuk said the only one hiccup with the line-up was when an artist became sick and was unable to do a set on Sunday, but another artist offered to fill the space.