Big year for Whoop & Hollar

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/08/2018 (2664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With 17 acts on two stages, including two onstage musician workshops, the 2018 Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival is the biggest one yet.

The Portage la Prairie Folk Fest takes place on Sat., Aug. 25 and will feature 40 musicians performing a wide variety of musical styles.

Josh Wright, artistic director, recently took on the role of booking performers for the festival, and has been involved since its inception in 2013.

“I discovered my love for local, eclectic music after I was blown away by the diversity of the Winnipeg Folk Festival and the Home Routes concerts on the present-day Whoop & Hollar site. I enjoy being a part of a grassroots team that lives to promote homegrown talent, bring new music to our own community, and provide the most freeing festival experience for everyone,” he said.

The festival, which features both up-and-coming artists and more seasoned performers, is now in its sixth year. Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival Inc., is a newly incorporated non-profit organization that aims to bend, stretch, and explore musical experience through live performance all year-round.

“What started as a backyard concert has grown into a full-day festival jam-packed with hours of live music and fun for people of all walks of life. It’s a big festival experience in an intimate setting surrounded by nature,” Wright explained.

Gates open at noon on Sat., Aug. 25; live music happens from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., followed by jam sessions until sunrise.

Festival passes cost $25 per adult, $15 per student, and are free for kids 12 and under. At the gate, families of up to nine members get in for $60 and groups of 10 people or more get in for half price. New citizens to Canada with a Cultural Access Pass receive free admission.

Located on Provincial Road 331, two kilometres east of Provincial Road 240 (40 minutes west of Winnipeg, or 10 minutes southeast of Portage la Prairie), the folk festival offers interactive activities such as newly added workshops and the Creative Corner visual art station. Whoop & Hollar is family friendly, on-leash pet friendly and offers an opportunity to celebrate music, art and nature all in one place. Festival goers are encouraged to bring an instrument for the jam sessions and join the evening open mic.

The festival is cash-only, so bring what you need for tickets, merchandise, CDs, food vendors, and the handmade artisan village. Free tent camping is available on Friday and Saturday night, with limited spots for pop-up trailers and camper vans.

Festival volunteers are compensated with a free festival pass and a home-cooked meal. To volunteer, email volunteer@whoopandhollar.com

For tickets and more information: www.whoopandhollar.com