'Folkies have a plan': Calgary Folk Fest crowds prove weatherproof amid rain, mud and record cold
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Environment Canada's Sunday forecast called for more showers and a risk of thunderstorms, with highs in the mid-teens. By Sunday afternoon, temperatures hovered at around 14 C as fans in boots and ponchos navigated puddles near the main stage, hoping a break in the rain would persist for the evening headliners.
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First-time attendee Gail Dunlop came prepared with a poncho, mittens, blanket and umbrella, and said she wouldn't let a little rain stop her from enjoying the festival.
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'We're planning to stay right till the end,' she said. 'The weather doesn't seem to be bothering anybody. Everybody's excited and smiles.'
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Organizers said festivalgoers 'know what they're in for' as they come out to the festival prepared for any weather conditions.
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'Folkies have a plan,' Leishman said. 'They'll do the morning shift, and then they go back to their cars and they change into dry clothes (so) they're all set for the afternoon and the evening.'
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Near the main stage, a group of Edmontonians arrived at the festival early Sunday morning to claim prime spots to see American rock band Cake, the festival's closing headliner. Wearing matching sunglasses while hunkered down on tarps, the group didn't seem put off by the weather, nor the massive mud puddle forming nearby.
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'We're definitely coming back (to Folk Fest),' said Liv Nicholls. 'This is like the coolest thing ever. It's so much more chill than other festivals we've been to.
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'It's a really fun experience.'
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