| Special edition This special issue of Folk Lines highlights some essential information in preparation for the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival taking place from August 4 to 7, 2022.  The return of the Folk Harbour Festival This edition of our newsletter will provide important details about this year’s Festival — what to bring, what to expect, etc. Perhaps the most important thing for us to pass on is that the return of the Festival after two years of Mini-Festivals is a cause for celebration! Many people have waited a long time for this. However, it is important to remind everyone that Folk Harbour, like many other businesses, is short staffed this year; we are without summer students and many of our regular volunteers are not available this year. There may be hiccups along the way, but if we all keep our focus where it belongs — on the celebration of music by the sea — it will be a joyous occasion.   Festival passes and individual tickets There are plenty of options for taking in the music. The best is to buy a Festival pass. This gives unlimited access to all the venues for the full four days. If you discover new favourite artists, you will want to catch all their shows. There are also options for all-day and single event tickets, outlined below.  Full Festival pass: $175 (age 26 and over) / $87.50 (age 25 and under) Full day pass: $75 (age 26 and over) / $37.50 (age 25 and under) Main Stage (evening) $45 (age 26 and over) / $22.50 (age 25 and under) Afternoon $45 (age 26 and over) / $22.50 (age 25 and under) Folk Steps $45 (age 26 and over) / $22.50 (age 25 and under) Sunday Morning Gospel Concert: $25 (age 26 and over) / $12.50 (age 25 and under) Morning Workshops: FREE! Goodwill donations are encouraged. Afternoons on the Bandstand: FREE! Goodwill donations are encouraged. Due to Fire Marshal capacity limits, ticket holders may not be admitted to venues that are full. Arrive early to secure your seats! Children aged 12 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult, unless a show is sold out due to occupancy limits. Prices include ALL taxes. Where and how to buy tickets in advance On-line: Ticketpro By phone: Ticketpro 1-888-311-9090 In person: Folk Harbour Office (before August 2) at 125 Montague St., Lunenburg, (902) 634-3180 or any Ticketpro location (e.g. Bridgewater Pharmasave) Click here to buy Festival passes and individual event tickets   Festival Box Office To reduce traffic at the Folk Harbour office, the box office moves around the corner to Keller Williams Select Realty at 6 King St., Lunenburg. From August 2 to 7, the Daytime Box Office at Keller Williams Realty will be open from 9 am to 5 pm. From August 4 to 7, there will also be an Evening Box Office at the Main Stage tent, operating each evening from 5:30 pm to closing. If you have a ticket in hand (paper or electronic), turn that in for your Festival tickets or wrist band at the first venue you visit. If you bought tickets in advance but left them for pick-up, go to the Daytime or Evening Box office. Reminder: The Folk Harbour office is NOT the place to pick up tickets during the Festival!! COVID-19 Safety The Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society’s current COVID-19 Safety Plan can be found here. Some important notes are that this event will be “mask-friendly“. Audience members are encouraged to make the mask-wearing decision that is best for them, and everyone is asked to respect the decisions of others. To help with air flow and physical distancing, the tent flaps at the Main Stage will be open unless there is extreme / stormy weather. Dress accordingly! There will be two outdoor venues each afternoon: the Bandstand and the Wharf Stage. These give options for those who are still hesitant to gather indoors. Unless the Folk Harbour Society cancels the event, tickets and passes are not refundable.  Getting around town Our Festival venues are located throughout Lunenburg (see map) and are an easy walk for most people. For those who need it, there will be a Shuttle Service available again this year. Visitors to the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival are invited to use a complimentary shuttle service. Each of our venues will be serviced by two shuttle vans on a continuous basis from 12:00 pm to 11:30 pm Thursday through Sunday, with service at each venue approximately every 10 minutes. If you need to access one of the shuttles, flag down a van that has the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival logo on the side of the vehicle. We welcome donations to help with the cost of the shuttles to allow this service to continue for years to come. Special thanks to Saunders Motors, Bridgewater, and Payless Fuels for helping us to provide this service. Take note Folk Steps – the Festival’s kick-off event – starts on Thursday, August 4 at 1 pm at the Lunenburg Opera House (note the change in venue from previous years!) The theme is “Songs of Peace, Protest, and Political Activism”. Rain Venues – we care about your comfort!! While we hope the sun shines on Folk Harbour, all outdoor venues move indoors in case of rain. The Wharf Stage moves to the Zion Lutheran Church and the Lunenburg Bandstand moves to St. John’s Parish Hall.  What to bring to Festival ● a water bottle Folk Harbour is working very hard to reduce our environmental footprint. Please help us! Our vendors do not sell bottled water, but refill stations are available throughout Lunenburg.Folk Harbour will have reusable water bottles to sell at a reasonable price, in case you forget yours!  ● a travel mug We have been told that there are NO compostable coffee cups that are accepted in the Municipality of the District of Lunenburg’s compost facility; therefore, it is essential that people bring their own mugs.  ● clothing for all weather conditions Be prepared for hot, sunny afternoons, and cool, breezy evenings. Except in the case of storms, some flaps of the Main Stage tent will be open to allow for air circulation, and outdoor seating and viewing. If you don’t want the fresh air, sit toward the middle of the tent and don’t forget to bring a blanket!● plenty of patience As indicated at the beginning of this newsletter, there may be some glitches this year as we try to remember how to do this with fewer staff members and volunteers. Changes in our lineup and venues The live arts always have the reality that a scheduled performer can become unable to take the stage as planned. This year, that is more a reality than ever. Festival presenters across the country are dealing with musicians getting sick, getting stranded at airports, or arriving without instruments that got lost along the way. We will do our best to manage such incidents and effectively communicate changes to our audiences. At present, we know of these changes: 1) Emma Stevens was scheduled to participate in our Songwriters’ Camp and to perform during the Festival as part of the Ken Matheson Program. Recently, she informed us that she is not able to participate in the Festival this year. While we are sorry to hear this, we are happy to announce that Moira Bren will be taking that spot in the Camp and on stage. 2) We have just found out that we are not able to use the Fisheries Museum Wharf for our seaside concerts this year. Instead, the Wharf stage will be at the adjacent Adams and Knickle Wharf.  Need more information? ● the Folk Harbour website (www.folkharbour.com) is full of Festival details ● the Festival guide is printed and ready for your perusal! Copies can be picked up at the Folk Harbour office (125 Montague St., Lunenburg) ● the Folk Harbour office is open Monday to Friday. You can call at (902) 634-3180 if there is information you need but can’t find elsewhere Folk Harbour Venues Folk Harbour is distinct in that our venues are found throughout the UNESCO-heritage town of Lunenburg, and each stage has its own particular charm. We don’t want to brag, but we believe you won’t find more beautiful venues anywhere!  Wharf stage, Garry Woodcock photo Central United Church, Jeffrey Dreves photo Main Stage tent (David Baillieul photo) Spacious grounds at the Main Stage site on Blockhouse Hill, (David Baillieul photo) The historic St. John’s Anglican Church (David Baillieul photo)  And the historic Lunenburg Opera House!The Music Now that we have told you how to get tickets, about the venues and how to get between them, and where to find other details, we should probably remind you what this is really about: the music!  Crys Matthews  Dave Gunning While the theme for Folk Steps is “Songs of Peace, Protest, and Political Activism”, throughout the weekend you can count on hearing a range of styles that includes Celtic, Francophone, singer-songwriter, traditional, and others. Those who are so inclined can join in singing and dancing workshops. There is truly something for everyone throughout the weekend!The full Festival schedule is available here. As with all live presentations, lineups and schedules are subject to change.  Fall Weekends at the Opera House Although this edition of Folk Lines is meant to focus on the Festival, we will give you the first notification about our fall series. The lineup is amazing!! Tickets are on sale now at the Folk Harbour office (125 Montague St., Lunenburg, (902) 634-3180) and Ticketpro. More details about this exciting fall series will be provided in upcoming editions of Folk Lines. The 37th annual Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival is a momentous occasion! Join us from August 4 to 7 for a memorable weekend of Music by the Sea! |
Folk Lines – August 2022
Folk Lines – August 2022
Folk Harbour
Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization. They are focused on preserving and celebrating the tradition of folk music through educational programs, youth scholarships and showcasing world-class musicians from across Canada, United States and beyond.