The Folk Fest Blew My Mind
I was 12 and shy and new to the city
still don’t know why some cool kids took me under their wing
snuck into the folk fest
and blew my mind
I was trying to hula hoop
if that were the orbit of the sun the universe would end
said my friend
(ooo)
naked women painted blue danced in the highland fling
we sidled into the front row, spat watermelon seeds (ooo finishes)
we were dicks
it blew my mind
it blew my mind
folk fest hit me like a freight train. a fun train. a great train
I rode my bike down in the pouring rain
everybody in the crowed waved their shoes over their heads
and I dreamt about kissing ani like everybody did
in the 80s my parents became socreds
so I guess I was a socred
then a pretty girl licked the stamp on her wrist
pressed it onto my wrist
we waltzed into the folk fest
it blew my mind
billy bragg, on stage 3, sang the world turned upside down
the words to the world turned upside down
actually turned my world upside down…..
the sin of property
we do disdain
no man has any right to buy and sell
the earth for private gain
by theft and murder
they took the land
now everywhere the walls
spring up at their command
it blew my mind
it blew my mind
folk fest hit me like a freight train. a fun train. a great train
I rode my bike down in the pouring rain
everybody in the crowd waved their shoes over their heads
and I dreamt about kissing ani like everybody did
I was a 14 year old prairie kid from Saskatchewan
made my pilgrimage in 1991
landed at the folk fest
it blew my mind
it blew my mind
it blew my mind
~ Veda Hille and the Memory Choir
Dear Old Folk Fest
F is for all the fun you gave us
O is for topless lesbians oh! oh!
L is for lucky that we have you
K is for keeping it together, together
another F is for freedom and for foolishness
and finally a beer tent
E is for everybody everywhere enjoying
except those who dislike the beer tent
S is for Sunday night oh Sunday night
and T is together, together, together
Oh Folk Fest you are our alma mater
in the sense that means “bountiful mother”
beautiful beautiful dear
Already I look forward to next year.
~ Veda Hille and the Memory Choir
Hello! My name is Edan and this is MY Festival Experience.
Hello, my name is Edan and this is the 17thtime I’ve experienced the greasy Vancouver Folk Festival. When I got here at 3pm Saturday my ears were walked by the small sound of Poulidor coming from stage 2. I started everywhere smashing and the crowd was doing the ballroom – it was amazing! Feeling slight, I wasted over to Pig on the Street to get my…
During last year’s very rainy and muddy folk festival, we went to the Folk Fest shop and bought a plastic raincoat for $5. It was blue, so of course we tore it at the shoulder, and then we sat huddled under it for the remainder of the weekend. That famous blue raincoat now lives in our suitcase and travels everywhere we go - reminding us that good times are possible, even when it rains.
~ Heather Mitchell (Vancouver, BC)
The Beautiful Scenery
Video by Heiko Decosas
Family History
Henry in his regalia in the woods (with his Bob Marley t-shirt underneath!) on the walk talking about a photo taken 65 years before - of his grandfather. Henry’s family was one of the last Musqueam people to live in the Endowment Lands.
Photo by Heather Hogan
~ Celia Brauer (Vancouver, BC)
Musqueam Welcome!
The Welcome from the Musqueam people on Friday night at the opening of the Festival. That is Thelma Stogan on the left, Henry Charles, John Stogan Junior drumming and Thelma’s daughter Nicole Jack on the right. Thelma’s dad Vincent Stogan Sr. used to welcome people to the Festival and Thelma was there as a kid when he did this. Vince Stogan was a well-respected and very knowledgeable elder with the Musqueam people.
Photo by Janine Bandcroft
~ Celia Brauer (Vancouver, BC)
The VPD is a Folk Fest Fan too!
Video by Heiko Decosas
Musqueam First Nation
Henry Charles is a Musqueam speaker, a Native historian and storyteller. He has great knowledge of stories and is one of 2 speakers left who is fluent in the Musqueam language. He led the First Nations History walks on Saturday and Sunday in the woods behind the Festival and down the west side to the ocean. This is the 2nd year we have done these. I am with the False Creek Watershed Society and spoke about the water, plants and sealife.
Henry told stories about the Musqueam people who originally lived in the area for thousands of years. Jericho Beach was originally a village site called “Ee-yulmough”. The first photo shows him drumming and welcoming us at the beginning of the walk near the east gate. He’s wearing his tie-dye t-shirt in honour of the Festival!
Photo by Janine Bandcroft
~ Celia Brauer (Vancouver, BC)
1978 - before the evening rain there was still a high grey overcast. In the true tradition of Festival workshops I brought my banjo and sat with Cathy Fink beneath the Stanley Park totems and finally learned how to frail. Thank you Cathy, thank you Gary Cristall and Mitch Podoluk and thank you VFMF
~ Eric Posen (Vancouver, BC)
Hello Festival Folks,
For a few years I lived close to Jericho and as I worked nights and weekends in the movies I could never get a parking spot when I got home. Then one year I was listening to CBC and a guy called in to say how happy he was that he got the chance to see Stan Rogers at the festival before he died. I had just discovered Stan’s music and that was it for me. I have been taking the weekend off and going to the festival ever since. So thanks to that caller and to CBC radio.
~ Leslie Murray (Vancouver, BC)
First Steps
