Folk Fest 2010

Over the years - 10 years or so - the Calgary Folk Music Festival has become somewhat of a religion in my family. Warren met my dad for the first time at Folk Fest. I used to wake up really early and head down to Prince's Island park and line up at 6am, before the gates were even open, just so I could rush the main stage with all the other crazies, and lay down our tarps to claim some prime real estate. My program would be marked up with circles and stars mapping out my journey for the day...which stages and which bands I wanted to see. A late afternoon nap under a shady tree wasn't unheard of. I'd saunter lazily through the artist's market and shop for handmade jewelry, scarves and jaunty caps. We'd all warm ourselves with a coffee and the mandatory festival Indian cuisine as the sun set behind the trees. I'd stay until the last song had played, and the last ghostly lantern had winded it's way through the crowd. Only to repeat the ritual the next day.

This year was a bit different.

But equally as special, memorable and worth the effort.

This year, for Warren & I, it wasn't so much about the music. It was more about chasing the shade, finding space for Rhys to explore and keeping everyone hydrated. And with us being the luckiest parents in the world, we also had family around us to help entertain Rhys and give us a break. The weather was glorious. Folk Fest was the perfect backdrop for a family weekend outdoors in the city, and I know each year it will get better and better as Rhys learns to dance and appreciate the worldly grooves. Rhys may have been baptized at 3 months old, but at just over one year old, he's been 'baptized' into the religion of...Folk Fest.

It was also the perfect punctuation mark to my incredible year off.