Like a well-loved vinyl recording, the Jasper Folk Music Festival only gets better with age.
This year鈥檚 event was especially impressive, as its organizers operated without the government grant they鈥檝e grown to depend on, still managing to pull together a three-day lineup full of stellar Canadian acts.
However, it isn鈥檛 the music that makes Jasper鈥檚 festival unique. It鈥檚 the local feel that you can鈥檛 find anywhere else. It鈥檚 the experience of being in the centre of town, surrounded by mountains and friendly, familiar faces.
Jasper鈥檚 festival is one made by Jasperites for Jasperites.
The organizers are local volunteers with a love for good tunes. The beer flowing from the taps was brewed by the Jasper Brewing Co. especially for the occasion.
There were Jasperites behind vendors booths, selling their made-in-Jasper wares. The workshops were led by local talent, whether it was yoga with Marnie Oatway, African dance with Nicole Koebel or hula hooping with Shawna Woelke.
The line-up even had Jasper talent, with Battle Royale winner Gui Benoit kicking off the weekend and Sam Spades rocking out Saturday night. Sunday was no different, with Warrior Women, Marie and and the Stone Mountaineers and Houle鈥檚 Gold all taking the stage.
There was also regional talent, with Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra headlining Friday night and Samson鈥檚 Delilah performing Saturday evening.
And, all the while, Jasperites danced with their neighbours, colleagues and friends, enjoying the opportunity to see live music a stone鈥檚 throw from home.
Even as the rain poured down Saturday night, festival-goers gathered at the front of the stage to watch the Pick Brothers and Harry Manx, because in true Jasper fashion, everyone was prepared with their rain gear at the ready.
After resurrecting the event three years ago, the folk festival鈥檚 organizers can be proud of what they鈥檝e accomplished in a such a short time. They鈥檝e kept everything that makes the festival unique and tweaked the things that haven鈥檛 worked in the past, ultimately creating a festival that could only take place in Jasper.
We hope that despite a lack of funding, this year was not only successful on the ground, but in the books, allowing the event to flourish again next year.
