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Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Health
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Folk Festival ends 50th anniversary on a high note
There were no serious medical emergencies or major incidents at this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival, which ran from July 10 to 13 at Birds Hill Provincial Park. 'Overall, folk fest was a huge success this year,' RCMP Cpl. Melanie Roussel said Tuesday via email. Officers patrolling the festival site on foot and by vehicle made one arrest over the weekend involving an individual who was on drugs, Roussel said. That person was later released with no charges. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Longtime folk fest attendee Greg Docker enjoys a spritz of water at the site last week. On Saturday, the festival put out an alert regarding a substance that was circulating in gel-cap mushrooms causing adverse reactions, such as fainting. The issue was noted by the festival's on-site safety and first aid crews, which treated 12 people with symptoms on Thursday and Friday. 'No one was hospitalized, and after the alert was issued, we received no further reports of similar incidents,' said festival marketing and communications manager Lee-Anne Van Buekenhout via email. The organization doesn't offer drug-checking services at the festival and its website advises patrons to test substances before arriving at the event. Security and first aid volunteers carry naloxone kits. The air-quality health index was above or near 10 for most of the weekend, owing to smoke from local wildfires — a level at which the federal government recommends strenuous outdoor activities be reduced or rescheduled for the general public, and that people at risk, such as seniors, children and those with respiratory issues, avoid being outdoors at all. The festival sent out an advisory via its app on Saturday morning advising attendees travelling from the city to come prepared with masks. Festival staff are reviewing the weekend's incidents and, on Tuesday, had no formal reports listing smoke as a factor. 'We follow government regulations and will continue to communicate with our audience to ensure they come prepared and make their own decisions on what is best for them,' Van Buekenhout said. 'Climate change is affecting all outdoor events, and we continue to assess and adjust our processes in response.' Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of 79,000 ticketholders, including volunteers, artists, donors, vendors and sponsors, over the 50th anniversary weekend. The 50th anniversary had an average front-of-house capacity of 15,171 paid visitors per day, not including volunteers and artists. Single-day tickets sold out on Friday and Saturday. Four-day passes, with and without camping, sold out prior to the festival. Headliners included Americana artist Jason Isbell, Canadian roots artist Allison Russell, singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco, R&B legend Mavis Staples, Vancouver indie-pop band Peach Pit and Winnipeg vocal powerhouse Begonia. The 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival will take place July 9-12, 2026. — staff
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Plenty of daylight to find amid sea of humanity at Birds Hill Park
Opinion 'Got to kick at the darkness till it bleeds daylight' — Lovers in a Dangerous Time, Bruce Cockburn 'The line between us is so thin, I might as well be you' JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS It's hard not to leave the folk festival feeling a bit better about humanity. — Chinese Bones, Robyn Hitchcock A couple of choice lyric lines stuck out as I baked under a smoke-filled sky at the Winnipeg Folk Festival's Big Bluestem stage this weekend. That first one earned an affirmative roar from the packed-to-bursting audience at Cockburn's Saturday afternoon performance. The second slipped by almost unnoticed during Hitchcock's Sunday workshop with his Nashville neighbours and Americana icons Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Both speak to what makes the now 51-year-old festival such a treasured gift to the tens of thousands of people who make the pilgrimage to Birds Hill Provincial Park every year. I don't need to tell you there is a lot of darkness out there, but for four days Birds Hill was bleeding daylight. Through alchemy both calculated and sublime, the regular rules of engagement were suspended: walls fell away, boundaries softened or dissolved (in a good way) and strangers who might otherwise look at each other with wariness found friendship on common ground. Call it the Folk Fest Effect. Walking into the beer tent Saturday afternoon, I caught the eye of a judge and said hi. She quickly reached over and put a hand on my shoulder then just as quickly pulled it away, laughing as she said: 'I was going to give you a hug, but that probably wouldn't be professional.' Probably not, and she might have been joking about the hug, but had that hug landed I would not have been shocked. Hugs are so reflexive at folk fest the odd slip is easily forgiven. Earlier that day, I heard someone call my name. It was a college classmate I hadn't seen in over 30 years. We didn't hang out much back then and we were by no means close, but we fell into a warm, lengthy chat, touching on matters both light and dark and our concerns for the future. The conversation was winding down when my friend paused to hesitantly ask: 'Soo, should we… hug?' We looked at each other and the answer was obvious. 'Of course, it's folk fest.' We hugged. And then we talked some more. We could have bumped into each other in a coffee shop and had a perfectly pleasant conversation, but it wouldn't have been the same. There's something about folk fest and its sense of community that invites a desire for connection. For years, no visit to the festival was complete until I saw Dancing Woman. I never knew her name or where she was from, but every year I could count on seeing her leaping, gliding and swaying by a workshop stage in rhythmic communion with the music. Seeing her always made me smile. Then one year she wasn't there. She was absent the next year too, and the one after that. She was back this year, back like she'd never been gone, still grooving, still dancing like it was the only thing that mattered. Between workshops, I told her it was good to see her again. Explaining her absence, she said she was from Minnesota and had moved to the East Coast for a few years. Our interaction was brief and we didn't exchange names, but I'm glad I talked to her. I hope she was, too. Back in the beer tent Sunday, my wife and I shared a table with an American scientist who apologized for their 'piece of shit president' and the damage he has done to the relationship between our two countries. We shared gripes and laughs, reminding each other that we're not so different. Don't get me wrong, the festival isn't perfect. Despite the folk ethos of inclusivity and a truly diverse musical lineup, the audience remains overwhelmingly white and largely privileged, but that's more likely a societal issue, not one of the festival's own making, and a topic for another column. Still, it's hard not to leave the festival feeling better about humanity and just a wee bit more optimistic about the future. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. Every year the festival ends with an audience sing-along of The Mary Ellen Carter, Wild Mountain Thyme and Amazing Grace. It's a tradition I have generally eschewed, too cool for school, choosing instead to ditch the fest for a quick getaway. The older I get, the more I feel my resistance weakening. I want to feel connected to other people. It is just 358 days until the 51st Winnipeg Folk Festival. Dean PritchardCourts reporter Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean. Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
4 Ways to fake it til you make it at your first change of command ceremony
No one knows what a change of command is until they're sweating through their bra and Googling 'is a dress with pockets disrespectful.' No one ever says what the event actually is. The invite said 'ceremony.' The group chat said, 'Optional but recommended.' Your partner said, 'You don't have to go.' Which, obviously, meant you had to go. So now you're standing outside in full sun, surrounded by people who seem to know when to stand, where to sit, and how to clap with military-appropriate enthusiasm. You, meanwhile, are just trying to figure out if your shoes are too loud and whether it's weird to cry at the national anthem even though you're not totally sure why you're crying. Welcome to the change of command. A formal, awkward, often heat-adjacent rite of passage that no one explains, everyone fakes their way through, and yes, you're now part of it. This isn't just about surviving one weird event. It's about learning how to hold your own in a room where you don't speak the language (yet). And doing it with enough grace that someone else in the crowd thinks: 'Oh thank god, I'm not the only one faking it.' Start with the uniform: dress code says, 'business casual,' but everyone reads that as 'summer barbeque with slightly better accessories.' Go neutral. Go closed-toe shoes, even if it's 103 degrees. Flat-bottom shoes that won't sink into grass, get destroyed on gravel, or spark a scandal. You're not dressing to be remembered. You're dressing to survive a long change of command ceremony with dignity. If you want to look like you've done this before, the trick is to look vaguely polished and emotionally unreachable. Even if you watched a few of these on YouTube, no two are the same. Inevitably, someone will speak for too long. Someone will clap early. Someone will faint in formation (okay, probably not. But you can feel the possibility hanging in the air). Keep your cool by nodding when others nod. Clap half a second after the first person claps. Smile at no one in particular. If you furrow your brow during a speech, people will assume you're reflecting on leadership. But we know you're probably thinking less about leadership and more about whether you have to go to the unit potluck after this is over. Posture is everything. If you don't know what's happening at the change of command, square your shoulders, lift your chin, and stand like you've been to six of these, even if this is your first and you're dying to Google, 'what is a guidon?' There's always one. She's already seated. She knows the difference between a brigade and a battalion. She brought sunscreen, bug spray, a fan, and a granola bar she won't eat but will absolutely offer to someone else's kid. She's not trying to be the main character at the change of command ceremony. She just knows what's about to happen and how long it's going to take. You don't have to talk to her. But if you're not sure what to do, look in her direction. She'll stand half a second before everyone else, clap exactly three beats after, and remove her sunglasses during the anthem like it's choreography. It kind of is. She's not there to make you feel small. She's there to make this whole thing run without catching fire. Let her do her thing. Let her carry the energy. And if you accidentally match her timing?Congratulations. You now look like someone who's been here before. Your spouse probably spent days prepping for this change of command ceremony, but you didn't get that chance. So yeah, you're right to feel like you have no idea what's going on. That's normal. Here's what we all wish someone had said: If there's a program, take it. You won't read it, but it'll give you something to hold while you panic. If they say, 'We'll begin shortly,' that means at least fifteen more minutes in full sun. Pace your water accordingly. If you're standing in a group of people and someone starts doing something official-looking, do your best to move three feet to the left. You are always, somehow, in the wrong spot. This is the law of physics. If someone in uniform makes a joke during their speech and you're not sure it was a joke, wait one full second before laughing. This is how we avoid being featured in someone's after-action report. And finally: sunnies off during the National Anthem, even if your mascara is halfway down your face. Especially then. We Are The Mighty is a celebration of military service, with a mission to entertain, inform, and inspire those who serve and those who support them. We are made by and for current service members, veterans, spouses, family members, and civilians who want to be part of this community. Keep up with the best in military culture and entertainment: subscribe to the We Are The Mighty newsletter. 4 secret skills milspouses have but don't realize 4 milspouse personas you'll meet during deployment How to explain commissary etiquette to your civvie bestie
San Francisco Chronicle
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Yeah Yeah Yeahs ditch the chaos for a quiet, powerful night in San Francisco
Longtime fans of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are accustomed to seeing Karen O thrash across the stage and spray beer into the air. The frontwoman's statuesque presence and glam fashion solidified her rep as one of most enigmatic performers of this millennium. Yet on Monday, July 14, for the first of two back-to-back San Francisco concerts at Davies Symphony Hall, a centerstage stool for O hinted at what was to come: 90 minutes of lead singer O, guitarist Nick Zinner and drummer Brian Chase purposefully shaving off serrated edges and slowing down tempos, revealing the beauty at each song's core. 'We've been working on this very different Yeah Yeah Yeahs show. It's very vulnerable,' O explained, early on. 'Nothing's more 'punk rock' than being vulnerable.' After 25 years of creating catharsis from chaos, the New York art-punk trio was reimagining their catalog with fresh arrangements and textures. The intent was to counter the outside world's current doom spiral with an expression of clarity and community through their music. To meet the moment, they were joined by guitarist and longtime collaborator Imaad Wasif, a string quartet and a conductor who doubled as stand up bassist. The setting was the tony home of the San Francisco Symphony, part of the band's 18-date Hidden in Piece tour, designed for smaller — and in the case of Davies, more ornate — acoustically pure theaters. Shannon Shaw of Oakland indie faves Shannon and the Clams opened the evening with a set of torchy roots-rock that bridged vintage Americana, Motown pop and DIY punk. Shaw was joined by fiddler Sivan Lioncub and keyboardist Joel Robinow, all sounding great in the classy environment (Shaw's click-clack footsteps were audible in the upper tier). As for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Cheated Hearts' and ' Skeletons ' benefited the most from this reconfiguration, the string section sawing away with verve, and drummer Brian Chase using timpani mallets to build 'Skeletons' to a triumphant close. 'Y Control' and 'Gold Lion' were similarly reconstructed but retained their lean sinew, while 'Despair' was a rousing halftime speech to elevate the masses. 'We're all on the edge, there's nothing to fear inside,' sang O. 'Through the darkness and the light, some sun has got to shine.' Still, there were moments of dissonance. Casual fans expecting to hear Zinner's epic guitar breakdown on the band's biggest hit, 2003's 'Maps,' had to settle for an unplugged take that whispered with gentle intimacy. This more subdued version begs to be used during opening credits on 'The Bear.' A cover of Björk's 'Hyper-Ballad' — a song Zinner and O noodled with when the band first formed in 2000 — was cooked down to its acoustic guitar-vocal essence. For YYY stans this might have been epic, but for YYY fans who know and/or revere Björk's original, the contrast was too much to process. Dressed in a red Christian Joy jumpsuit, Karen O was typically commanding, mostly ignoring the stool. During 'Spitting Off the Edge of the World,' she jumped up and down and two-stepped like an excited auntie at a wedding reception. Occasionally she brought out her old tricks, whipping the mic cord while posing and preening. But despite her approval of the audience standing up and dancing in their rows, many chose to enjoy the show seated. With early YYY fans who roughed it in the pit now reaching their 40s and 50s, this was an understandable compromise. As extra treats for its day-ones, the group dusted off a couple rarities: 'Our Time' from the band's self-titled 2001 EP, and a resplendent 'Warrior,' which was introduced with a bit of 'Isis.' A great Yeah Yeah Yeahs song has the power to propel you to the top of the world. These new versions make you feel like you're floating in an alternate universe, a zoom-out that allows for even deeper examination and introspection. Blacktop Our Time Gold Lion Hyper-Ballad (Bjork cover) Cheated Hearts Isis/Warrior Despair Skeletons Spitting Off the Edge of the World Maps Turn Into Y Control Zero Todd Inoue is a freelance writer.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Louis' Wimbledon Debut Might Be the Sweetest Royal Surprise of the Summer
The royal family and Wimbledon go hand in hand, thanks to Kate Middleton's patronage of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. The Princess of Wales has shared her love for the sport with Prince George, 11, and Princess Charlotte, 10, in recent years, but it has us wondering about Prince Louis, 7. The youngest child in Prince William and Kate's family has always been a showstopper. He's wild and free-spirited — a quality we love about him. But does his personality fit within Wimbledon's very traditional structure? Kate hasn't been at Wimbledon yet this season, but we can take a look at Louis' older siblings and gather what mom might be thinking. More from SheKnows Brooks Nader's Wimbledon Whites Were a Serve - Until a Period Plot Twist Stole the Show Both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were eight years old when they attended their first match at the esteemed club. In 2022, royal fans witnessed George watched Novak Djokovic defeat Nick Kyrgios in the men's singles final with William and Kate. He looked sharply dressed, wearing a navy blue suit, a white shirt and a matching tie. Dad appeared to be pointing out the rules of the game and George smiled broadly throughout the match. In July 2023, it was Charlotte's turn to make her debut and George made sure to take his younger sister under his wing. She sported a sweet, blue-and-white floral dress to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in the men's singles final. The young royal made herself at home, casually leaning back to stretch with her arms behind her head and wearing a pair of very cool pink sunglasses. Being the total pro that she is, Charlotte also made sure to wave to the fans in the crowd. So, it's likely that Kate and William will wait one more year until Prince Louis makes his first Wimbledon appearance, and it's sure to be an eventful time in the stands. Jo Frost, aka the Supernanny, described the youngest royal as 'a highly sensitive person' after he blew out Charlotte's candle during the Together at Christmas concert in December 2023. 'He is elevated by high energy experiences and can sometimes get excited beyond the point that his behavior may be unpredictable,' she explained to Hello! while sharing high praise for William and Kate's parenting skills. 'His parents navigate their son's behavior in public settings, they balance room, holding space for Prince Louis to be himself emotionally, whilst instilling the importance of social conduct in public settings and I believe this should be recognized and complemented as many families do the same in life.' So, we will patiently wait for Prince Louis' Wimbledon debut in 2026 or later, unless Kate and William give royal fans a surprise this of SheKnows AP Scores Just Came Out — Here's What to Do If Your Teen's Upset About Theirs Celebrate Freedom With These Perfectly-Patriotic Americana Baby Names July 4th Printable Coloring Pages to Keep Kids Busy All Day
