Jason Stockfish | [email protected]
After two years of being cancelled by the pandemic, the Jasper Folk Music Festival (JFMF) was poised for a glorious comeback in 2022.
However, less than a week before showtime, the Chetamon wildfire started and the power to Jasper was cut as the powerline was downed by the out-of-control fire.
As a result, the JFMF committee announced that the festival could not go on as planned, with the possible hope that it could be postponed for a few weeks.
Cristin Murphy, executive director of the JFMF, later announced on social media on Sept. 10 that the music would go on later that day in the form of Locals Unplugged, a last-minute concert featuring some of Jasper's finest musicians at Centennial Park.
Within a few hours, a couple of hundred people had gathered to take in the festivities that would go on well into the evening.
"JFMF was so happy with the turnout for our impromptu Jasper Locals Unplugged evening,鈥� Murphy said.
"Our hearts were filled by the warmth of our ever-resilient community.鈥�
Whether it was a one-off, or a great idea in its infancy, Locals Unplugged brought a lot of joy and positive energy to the community when it needed it most.
