Whoop & Hollar gets a make-over

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This article was published 19/01/2018 (2842 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Portage la Prairie residents will see the Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival name on arts events held throughout the year.

“We have rebranded,” said Josh Wright, the new Whoop & Hollar artistic director, in a news release. “Everything is being rebranded as the Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival. All of our activities throughout the year will now come under a single banner.”

Event co-ordinator Linda Omichinski said a decision was made to end the annual Hot Blizzard Folk Festival held in February and instead concentrate on the Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival that will be held on the Aug. 25 weekend this year.

She said having two annual events with different names and run under the Portage la Prairie Folk Festival Association was diluting the brand, so she, Wright and other volunteer committee members agreed to make the changes needed to effectively grow the Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival.

However, they are also organizing an open mic and jam night on the last Friday of each month from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion (275 Duke Ave.) in Portage. She said the nights are being held in partnership with the Portage Legion, Visions of Independence, Badlands Promotions, and Sawmill Tea + Coffee Co.

“We’re having opportunities to connect with the community and establish more partnerships,” she said.

The open mic and jam nights are open to anyone who wants to perform, and are not restricted to music but can feature poetry, theatre, dance or any art form, Omichinski said.

The first session will be held on Fri., Jan. 26. For more information, see https://whoopandhollar.com