Insider Tips to the Calgary Folk Music Festival

Calgary Folk Music Festival Mainstage fireworks
Calgary Folk Music Festival Mainstage fireworks
Tips & Tricks

Insider Tips to the Calgary Folk Music Festival

Make the most of the Calgary Folk Music Festival on July 25-28, 2024

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Folk Fest Tarpies

Get a great seat at the Calgary Folk Music Festival (Photo credit: Mike Tan).

Get There Early To Set Up Your Ultimate Spot

Not all spots are created equal. Seating on the grass in front of the main stage is first come first serve so show up early and get a great seat. Own your basecamp by laying down a tarp or blanket (6' X 8' max size); a spot to keep your cooler, extra clothes and get a good view of the mainstage. This can also serve as your meeting place to hook up with your group in case you get separated.

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Indigenous dance performance Folk Fest

Make a schedule and catch your favourite artists at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Make a Festival Schedule

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Group of friends at folk fest

Bring a reusable water bottle and beat the heat at the Calgary Folk Music Festival. (Photo credit: Mike Tan).

Bring a Bottle for Free Water

It’s not unheard of for temperatures in late July to hover around a million degrees. Don’t sweat it! Bring a reusable water bottle and refill it at one of the water refill stations around the festival grounds. The Calgary Folk Music Festival views water as an essential requirement for a positive festival experience and doesn’t think it should be bottled and sold for profit. Therefore you don’t have to decide between taking a water bottle shower to cool down and keeping hydrated.

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Bring Your Own (Festival) Chair

Sit back and relax and bring in your own festival chair. Make sure the seat doesn’t rise more than eight inches above the ground, you wouldn’t want to compromise the views of the people sitting behind you. If you can fit a basketball underneath the seat it is probably too high.

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Folk Fest food trucks

It’s a food truck frenzy at the Calgary Folk Music Festival!

Great Eats Nearby or Food Truck Frenzy

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Bring Extra Clothes for Inclement Weather

Calgary’s weather can change from hot to cold in just a few hours. Bring layers or a light jacket to stay comfortable throughout the day. Even a drizzle in the forecast means it might be worth packing a poncho too. Rain or shine, the show goes on!

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Fok fest performance

The Calgary Folk Music Festival takes place on Prince’s Island Park in downtown Calgary.

Avoid the Hectic Exit

At the end of each day thousands of people leave the grounds and head for their cars or public transit. To miss the congestion, hold back and wait out the rush. Let the crowd bottleneck and fill the streets. You’ll be chilling out in the grass as you reminisce over the memorable night at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

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Folk Fest friends

Tunes and treats at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Be ready for a cash-light experience

The Calgary Folk Music Festival is a cash-light event. Vendors will have their own payment options, but there will be no ATMs on site. Stash your debit and credit cards in your phone case or in a stylish fanny pack while you explore the festival grounds.

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Dad and daughter at folk fest

Tunes and treats at the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Come and Go with Re-entry

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Find Parking Close to the Grounds

Don’t let downtown Calgary parking deter you from the best party in town. There’s lots of inexpensive and safe parking around the Eau Claire district with inexpensive evenings and weekends at the Eau Claire Market, or street parking, which is free after 6:00 p.m. and on Sunday.

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Bonus Tip

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