The 42nd Regina Folk Festival got underway last night. Here is a list of notable observations:

1.  Fred Penner successfully united generations with his cheerful, upbeat antics. Kudos for crawling through the log, Fred!

2. Montreal based Braids are fantastic. A highlight for sure.

3. The “Before I die I want to _______”wall is deadly. Great Idea!

4. No smoking area? Smokers want to see the stage too!  I get why you shouldn’t smoke everywhere, but I saw at least a few suitably isolated locations. It’s an alienating policy begging to be disregarded. Besides, cigarette smokers provide cover for friendly pot smokers.

5. Somersaulting is more fun than you remember – especially in combination with beer.

6. Andrew Bird seems to have built a music career out of whistling. Clever fellow.

7. Etran Finatawa rocked the After Dark Carnival!


I heard a rumor of daytime beer gardens! Let’s get down!

Photo by Kim Jay

Folk Festival 2011