This year’s Jasper Folk Music Festival might be more than four months away, but that doesn’t mean the Jasper Folk and Blues Society is resting on its laurels.
The festival committee has been hard at work all year, and things are quickly falling into place for the second round of the revived festival.
Committee member Simon Chisotti says that even though it’s almost entirely secured, this year’s lineup will be kept under wraps until later this month, when all the contracts are secured and down payments made.
Until then, anyone eager to get their festival fix will have to come out to the society’s Battle Royale on May 24, at the Jasper Legion.
Like last year, the event will give local artists the opportunity to duke it out for a spot on the stage at this year’s festival.
The competition is split into two categories, with one spot reserved for full bands, and another for a solo or duo artist. Cristin Murphy, the executive director of the society, says after the success of last year’s winning musicians, local artists should be eager for their chance to take the stage.
Last year, singer/songwriter Emma Acorn, and punk band Some Irish Pirates won in their respective categories.
This year, Acorn, along with a member of Some Irish Pirates will return to judge the competition, and decide who gets a chance to perform at this year’s festival.
“Last year [the competition] turned out to be excellent,” Murphy said. “It just kind of kicked everything off with a bang—it was so fun.”
According to Chisotti, last year’s battle sold out, and while it featured some excellent acts, there was room for more to sign up. This year, he’s hoping for about 10 acts in total. Five in each category would mean each gets to play a couple of songs for the judges.
He said committee members have already been getting informal questions about this year’s battle, and even though applications are due May 22—just two days before the event—he’s hoping to see the first signups as soon as possible.
Although the festival is still fundraising through things like a silent auction at the battle, it is in a pretty good place financially, after receiving nearly $10,000 from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.
The AFA gave the Folk and Blues Society $9,386, in the form of an Arts Presenting Operational Grant.
Murphy explains that the amount of the grant comes retroactively, and is dependent upon how many Albertan, Canadian and international artists the festival hired last year.
She pointed out that last year the society only received about $2,000 from the same grant, because they hadn’t put on many shows the previous year.
“It’s a big jump,” she said.
And the committee plans to put that money to good use making the festival better and securing some great acts. The festival will take place Sept. 12–14, and until then, fans will eagerly await the release of this year’s lineup.
 Trevor Nichols
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