Grade A Festivals

  • Grade A Festivals,  Nova Scotia

    Halifax Urban Folk Festival

    The Halifax Urban Folk Festival (Halifax, NS) August 30 – September 6, is a celebration of songs, the people who write and sing them, and the stories surrounding their creation. It takes place annually in Halifax, Nova Scotia – a city seeping with songwriting talent – during the last week of August, through Labour Day weekend. The “Urban” in HUFF refers to the fact that it takes place in a city, rather than a field in the country, and allows the festival to use locations that aren’t at the mercy of often-unpredictable coastal weather and support live music year-round. The Halifax Urban Folk Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on…

  • Grade A Festivals,  Ontario

    Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival

    Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival (Owen Sound, ON) is a dynamic annual folk music & crafts festival presented by The Georgian Bay Folk Society, a cultural organization run by volunteers, that presents, promotes and encourages folk music and other folk arts in the community at large. They’ve received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past three years. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! https://summerfolk.org/

  • Grade A Festivals,  Saskatchewan

    Regina Folk Festival

    The Regina Folk Festival (Regina, SK) August 7-9, is held annually in Victoria Park on the weekend following the long weekend in August, and is a much-anticipated and immense celebration of music and community. The festival organization believes that live performance is an important form of communication, joins people together, creates an individual and collective voice, is part of the cultural mosaic of Regina and Saskatchewan, and is a forum for positive artistic, social and cultural development. The Regina Folk Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past three years. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! https://reginafolkfestival.com/

  • Grade A Festivals,  Nova Scotia

    Lunenberg Folk Harbour Festival

    Lunenburg Folk Harbour Society Festival (Lunenburg, NS) August 6-9, is a small town festival with a big reputation. Each year, music lovers flock to this distinct UNESCO World Heritage town for the best of Folk music from across Canada and around the world. The longest running music festival in Nova Scotia and one of the oldest in Canada, this all-ages event takes place over four days in early August and offers something for everyone. Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival has received an ‘A’ on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past three years. Visit their website for festival info! https://www.folkharbour.com/

  • Grade A Festivals,  Ontario

    Blue Skies

    Blue Skies Music Festival Community (unofficial) (Clarendon, ON) began with a picnic. It was a beautiful summer weekend in the early ’70’s. A few friends got together to enjoy the weather, each other’s company and a spectacular natural amphitheatre surrounded by pristine wilderness. Over the years, Blue Skies has evolved in its own, quirky way. With an organizational structure more like a group of friends than a board of directors, and an eye to staying small and manageable rather than big and money-making, Blue Skies has developed its own way of doing things. Blue Skies received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card in 2019. Visit their website…

  • British Columbia,  Grade A Festivals

    Islands Folk Festival

    Islands Folk Festival (Duncan, BC) is a family-friendly event where kids of all sizes and all ages can run and dance and play freely and safely in the midst of all of the fun. They pride themselves on being a festival where the vibe and the tone are one that welcomes and encourages a diverse audience and encourages caring and respectful behaviour from all our volunteers, performers and attendees. The Islands Folk Festival received an ‘A’ on the Canadian Festival Report Card in 2019 and 2017. Visit their website for more info about the festival! https://www.islandsfolkfestival.ca

  • Grade A Festivals,  Nova Scotia

    Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song

    Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song (Lockeport, NS) began as a project of the Shelburne County Womens’ Fishnet to provide a stage for female singers and songwriters. The first festival was a small gathering in 2005, and after the success of that event plans were made for a larger festival the following year at Seacaps Memorial Park. In 2009 the Harmony Bazaar Festival of Women & Song Society was incorporated as a non-profit organization, and the festival has grown into a weekend full of events and activities, as well as events year-round! Harmony Bazaar has received an ‘A’ on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past three years.…

  • Grade A Festivals,  Manitoba

    Real Love Summer Festival

    Real Love Summer Festival (Tuelon, MB) July 24-26, 2020, is a three-day festival celebrating community, music, and Summer. Operating year-round as Real Love Winnipeg, they work to make Winnipeg a more frequent destination for exciting underground and established touring bands, and to provide music fans with the most enjoyable, affordable and safe concert experience possible. Real Love Summer Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card for the past two years. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! https://reallovewpg.com/reallovesummerfest

  • Grade A Festivals,  Ontario

    Hillside Festival

    The Hillside Festival(Guelph, ON) July 24-26, is a three-day, multi-stage event with a broad artistic vision that emphasizes diversity: of culture, of musical heritage and style, of age, geography and influence. Set in a beautiful, accessible conservation area with campgrounds on Guelph Lake, this summer festival is world-renowned as one of Canada’s most progressive, environmentally conscious, and completely non-commercial community celebrations. They create a village on Guelph Lake Island that fills with music, dance, drumming, food, crafts, and more. Hillside Festival has received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card in 2019 and 2017. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! http://hillsidefestival.ca/

  • Alberta,  Grade A Festivals

    Calgary Folk Music Festival

    The Calgary Folk Music Festival (Calgary, AB) July 23-26, was founded in 1980 and is produced by the not-for-profit Folk Festival Society of Calgary. Held at Calgary’s bucolic Prince’s Island Park since its inception, it’s one of Canada’s flagship, trailblazing music festivals with a national and international profile and a broad, cutting-edge programming vision. The Calgary Folk Music Festival received an ‘A’ grade on the Canadian Festival Report Card in 2019. Visit their website for tickets and lineup info! https://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/