Edmonton Folk Fest has it all – great music and amazing atmosphere: Aug. 8-11

By AJNews staff

(AJNews) – Edmonton music lovers are in for a major treat this weekend with a great lineup of performers, wonderful ambience, a gorgeous natural amphitheatre and fantastic EFMF hospitality. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are headlining the 45th Edmonton Folk Music Festival which kicks off tonight – August 8 – and continues until August 11.

Plant, the former lead singer and lyricist of Led Zeppelin and American bluegrass-country singer and fiddler Krauss will hit the main stage at 9:40 pm on August 11 to close the four-day festival. The two superstars have collaborated to rave reviews in the past and the Edmonton performance is one of just three Canadian stops on their “Can’t Let Go” tour.

From start to finish over the next four days, the hills at Gallagher Park are going to be packed with folk music fans.

“Everything’s going well,” said EFMF producer Terry Wickham. “Weather forecast is great. Doesn’t get any better. We’re very happy. We’re really happy. The smoke stayed away.”

“We’re looking at 23 to 25 C temperatures, which actually is perfect.”

And it’s a really, really good line-up of performers!

On Friday the music starts at 6 pm with several concurrent small stage concerts featuring a wide range of exceptional performers like Alpha Yaya Diallo, Black Umfolosi International, Boy Golden, Don Ross, Jake Vaadeland & the Sturgeon River Boys, the McDades and more. At 9 pm festival goers move to the main stage for a concert by the always popular multiple Juno award winning band Blue Rodeo, followed by a high energy performance by the African Latin fusion powerhouse La Misa Negra.

The fun continues all day Saturday and Sunday! After a day of great music, Saturday’s main stage features two-time Grammy Award and Pulitzer Prize winning Rhiannon Giddens with her unique brand of folk music, followed by the dynamic singer songwriter Angie McMahon who shifts effortlessly from romantic melodies to pounding rock. Saturday night closes with a set by the amazing Fantastic Negrito whose accolades include three consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Blues.

Sunday night closes with the powerful collaboration of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. After a full day of amazing small stage concerts and sessions, the main stage starts with the unfettered rock and roll sounds of The Heavy Heavy, followed by the incredibly powerful vocalist and tireless advocate for justice Danielle Ponder. Her voice will move you and inspire you! And then comes Plant and Krauss. It just doesn’t get any better than that!

Please note – Although parking in the Cloverdale and Strathern and Bonny Doon neighbourhoods is still restricted for non-residents, there is no longer a dedicated park and ride option for getting to Gallagher Park this year. E-bikes and E-scooters can be taken to the site but are not allowed on site. Bike lockup is also available at the entrances if you bring your own bike – and remember to bring your own lock too.

The Valley Line Southeast LRT is a great way to get to the festival, with stops at Strathearn and Muttart stations near the North and South gates.

• LRT hours are 5:00 am – end of service (approx. 1:00 am) during the festival.
• Frequency varies during peak hours.
• In the event that there are still riders after the last train, ETS will ensure that nobody is stranded.

Visit edmontonfolkfest.org for a full line-up and schedule.