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CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
10 things to do in Calgary this weekend (July 25 to 27)
The Calgary Folk Music Festival is held annually at Prince's Island Park. (Facebook/Calgary Folk Music Festival) There are plenty of local events and activities you can check out in Calgary this weekend. Here's a look at just 10 of the many amazing things happening around the city: Calgary Folk Music Festival What: The 2025 Calgary Folk Music Festival features 70 artists from around the world. This year, Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly are among those set to perform. The event also features food vendors, an arts market and a family zone. The 2025 Calgary Folk Music Festival features 70 artists from around the world. This year, Steve Earle and Reckless Kelly are among those set to perform. The event also features food vendors, an arts market and a family zone. When: Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27, 2025. Thursday, July 24 to Sunday, July 27, 2025. Where: Prince's Island Park, 698 Eau Claire Ave. S.W. Midway and a movie What: Head to Heritage Park to enjoy a movie or two and the antique midway as part of Midway and a Movie. This event includes a double feature of Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Head to Heritage Park to enjoy a movie or two and the antique midway as part of Midway and a Movie. This event includes a double feature of Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. When: Friday, July 25 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Friday, July 25 from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Where: Heritage Park, 1900 Heritage Dr. S.W. Surge vs. Bandits What: The Calgary Surge take on the Vancouver Bandits. The Calgary Surge take on the Vancouver Bandits. When: Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. Where: WinSport Event Centre, 151 Canada Olympic Rd. S.W. 98 Degrees What: Known for 90s hits like Because of You , Invisible Man and The Hardest Thing , musical group 98 Degrees comes to Calgary to perform at the Grey Eagle. Known for 90s hits like , and , musical group 98 Degrees comes to Calgary to perform at the Grey Eagle. When: Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. Friday, July 25 at 8 p.m. Where: Grey Eagle Event Centre, 3777 Grey Eagle Dr. Cavalry vs. York United What: Calgary's Cavalry FC take on the York United at ATCO Field. Calgary's Cavalry FC take on the York United at ATCO Field. When: Saturday, July 26 at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 26 at 3 p.m. Where: ATCO Field, 18011 Spruce Meadows Way S.W. Surge vs. Sea Bears What: The Calgary Surge take on the Winnipeg Sea Bears. The Calgary Surge take on the Winnipeg Sea Bears. When: Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m. Where: WinSport Event Centre, 151 Canada Olympic Rd. S.W. Debbie Gibson What: Head to the Grey Eagle to see 80s pop princess Debbie Gibson perform as part of her Newstalgia Live tour. Head to the Grey Eagle to see 80s pop princess Debbie Gibson perform as part of her tour. When: Sunday, July 27 at 8 p.m. Sunday, July 27 at 8 p.m. Where: Grey Eagle Event Centre, 3777 Grey Eagle Dr. YYC Ice Cream Fest What: Enjoy dozens of specialty ice cream flavours sold throughout Calgary as part of YYC Ice Cream Fest, a charitable competition that sees a portion of sales donated to Calgary Meals on Wheels. Enjoy dozens of specialty ice cream flavours sold throughout Calgary as part of YYC Ice Cream Fest, a charitable competition that sees a portion of sales donated to Calgary Meals on Wheels. When: Until Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025 Until Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025 Where: Various locations throughout Calgary. Legends of the 80's What: Stage West Calgary presents Legends of the 80's , a 1980s musical extravaganza, featuring music by legends like Elton John, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper and Queen. Stage West Calgary presents , a 1980s musical extravaganza, featuring music by legends like Elton John, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper and Queen. When: Until Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. Until Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025. Where: Stage West, 727 42 Ave. S.E. ABBA Mania: Back to the Disco Dimension
CTV News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Sights and sounds of the Winnipeg Folk Festival
Winnipeg Watch CTV's Jamie Dowsett shows what you can expect to see and hear at this year's Winnipeg Folk Festival.
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Crowds arriving for 50th edition of Winnipeg Folk Festival
CTV's Ainsley McPhail learns what people can expect from Winnipeg Folk Festival in its 50th year Crowds have started lining up for a milestone edition of a popular Winnipeg summer tradition. Gates opened Wednesday morning for the first campers to move into Birds Hill Provincial Park for the 50th edition of the Winnipeg Folk Festival. The festival runs from July 10 to 13. 'We take well over a year to plan every festival, and this is our Christmas morning, when everybody turns up and is so excited to be here and showing such passion for just being at the festival,' said Valerie Shantz, the executive director of the festival. Expand Autoplay 1 of 10 Folk Fest 2025 A cyclist arrives at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) Folk Fest 2025 Campers arrive at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 A camper arrives at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Musicians play instruments at Birds Hill Provincial Park as campers arrive for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 A camper arrives at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Musicians play instruments at Birds Hill Provincial Park as campers arrive for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Campers arrive at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Campers arrive at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Campers arrive at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) folk fest 2025 Campers arrive at Birds Hill Provincial Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival on July 9, 2025. (Ken Gabel/CTV News Winnipeg) Shantz said each night before mainstage performances take place, videos and photos from the previous 50 years will be shown to the audience. She added that the event has become a tradition for some families over the years. 'It's not unusual for us to see four generations at the festival,' Shantz said. 'So many people have grown up at the festival. It's an important part of their family tradition to meet here.' More than 2,000 volunteers help the festival run over the four days. 'The Folk Fest community is wonderful,' said Trie Truttman, a volunteer for the festival. 'Everybody is caring and giving and selfless, and we're all here for the same reason. We want everybody to have a happy Folk Fest, and we want the Folk Fest to be successful.' Headliners at this year's festival include Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit on Thursday, Peach Pit on Friday, The Cat Empire on Saturday and Lake Street Drive on Sunday. Other performers include Mavis Staples, Fred Penner, Bruce Cockburn, Ani DiFranco and Waxahatchee. There are 78 acts playing the festival this year. A full schedule and single-day ticket information can be found on the Folk Festival's website. -With files from CTV's Ainsley McPhail.
CBC
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Money problems forcing N.L. Folks Arts Society, annual festival to likely shutter
Due to financial strain, the upcoming Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival will likely be the last, says board president Julie Vogt. (Mark Cumby/CBC) After nearly 50 years of highlighting the arts, along with traditional and folk music, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival could be taking its final bow — along with the folk arts society that runs it. Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society board president Julie Vogt told CBC News financial constraints continue to hamper the effort this summer, and it's looking likely that year's festival will be the final one, and the society itself will also shutter. "I encourage everyone to allow us to go out with grace, get your tickets for this last folk festival. Remember all the wonderful feels that you've ever had and come celebrate with us because that's what it's going to be — a celebration," she told CBC News on Monday. The tipping point was missing out on a multi-year ArtsNL grant that the society had hoped to land to sustain its operation. In an email to members on Friday, Vogt wrote the new board found it highly unlikely it could raise an additional $75,000 to fill the gap left behind from the ArtsNL money. The board also assessed an "extremely low" probability that ticket sales for this year's festival would meet even a "modest budget." But this summer's event will go ahead as planned, running from July 11 to July 13 in Bannerman Park in downtown St. John's. Vogt said the society had a $140,000 fundraising goal, and landed just $8,000 short. "We were that close," she said. The festival itself costs about $192,000 to pull off. That's before a ticket is sold or performers are paid. The Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society could likely shut down after this year's festival. (Submitted by Alick Tsui) Vogt said she's disappointed the festival couldn't reach its 50th year, and big plans were in the making. "It's gut-wrenching, but we are going to give you the best folk festival we can with the small number of people that we have to do it," she said. Vogt also offered reassurance that performers scheduled to perform will be paid and the festival will be the same festival people are familiar with. As for the future, Vogt said there would need to be a miracle to keep the society and festival going, such as an angel investor and support from the public. While small donations are welcomed, she encouraged people to buy tickets for this year's event, too. It's not the first time the society and its festival have been on shaky ground. In January, then-president Deborah Coombs announced temporary layoffs of five staffers due to rising costs having an impact on the bottom line. Members of the Salt Beef Junkies are hoping enough people buy tickets to keep the festival alive. (CBC) Then, Vogt revealed in March, the festival was in danger of closing due to heavy financial strain, as the 2024 event left the society with over $100,000 in debt . In response, the society appealed to the public to help raise funds, and launched a "Save our Festival" campaign. In April Vogt said $23,000 was raised, the 2025 event would go ahead and they were pursuing more corporate sponsorships. Youth programming impacted The society also has youth programs that support young people interested in traditional music. Those include members of the musical trio the Salt Beef Junkies, who learned to play from older mentors through the society's Young Folk at the Hall program. "That's the sad part about this news, about today, is that well, it's been our childhood," Ty Simms told CBC News on Monday. "That's how a lot of young musicians get their first big gig in Newfoundland." The trio is opening up the festival on the main stage this year, and are hoping they can draw enough people to keep the society alive. "Hopefully more funding does come, because the Folk Festival is probably one of the best festivals in the province," said accordion player Luke Mercer. Simms said the festival helps keep young people interested in Newfoundland music. "If you have kids, if you have even teenagers, who are looking into new music or even just want to come hear in Newfoundland music … go support the Newfoundland Folk Festival." Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page
SBS Australia
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
'A special language': This Iranian musician is in Australia to connect Indigenous traditions
From left: Mohsen Sharifian, William Barton, Aunty Delmae Barton and Liana Sharifian will be performing in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Credit: Brendan Read / Keith Saunders / Unsplash / Jamie Davies / SBS Concerts in major Australian cities will showcase traditional Iranian and Indigenous instruments. Iranian bagpipe musician Mohsen Sharifian performs with the aim of 'keeping Bushehri and Iranian folk music alive'. Indigenous didgeridoo artist William Barton says the two countries face similar challenges in preserving culture. Mohsen Sharifian, a musician and composer from the port of Bushehr in Iran, will be performing in Australia alongside Indigenous artists William Barton and his mum, Aunty Delmae Barton, in a tour called Harbour to Harbour. Sharifian's folkloric ensemble, Lian Band, and the First Nations artists will come together to blend the ney-anban (Persian bagpipe) and didgeridoo, traditional Iranian and Indigenous instruments. While their music may sound different, there is a common purpose among the artists from Iran and Australia. "This is a special language that can bring us together, make us talk and connect our cultures to each other. When cultures and music connect, other things get closer," Sharifian told SBS Persian. "This is happening so we can talk more with each other, discuss our concerns, and pour our hearts out. "All of our passion is for the music of our motherland. A type of music with a rich historical background that is also the storyteller of many parts of our society and the Australian Indigenous community." Sharifian's home is the city of Bushehr, in the south of Iran, located beside the Persian Gulf. As one of the country's most important commercial ports, the city's population has been shaped by people from diverse cultures and countries over the past hundred years. According to Sharifian, this had a significant impact on Bushehr's music. "Music grows from culture, and wherever it is based on their culture and geography, they have their own type of music," he explained. "Bushehr had different connections with people from different countries, and its music now has a poly-national shape ... All of these have given Bushehr's music a special and unique shape." Sharifian started his musical activity with Lian Band in 1993, with the aim of "keeping Bushehri and Iranian folk music alive". However, Iranian musicians must go the extra mile to save their music. While music and concerts are generally permitted in the Islamic Republic of Iran, music production and distribution face strict regulations, as women are not allowed to sing and musicians need permits from the Ministry of Guidance and Culture. "There are many issues in front of Iranian music, and no one can deny it, (including) strictness in giving permits to concerts," Sharifian said. "There are some people in Iran who have their own concerns, and don't vibe with music and have their own stance. We respect them, but this will not make us forget our duty. "Since ethnic music needs more support, a lack of that frustrates many musicians as they need more attention." Thousands of kilometres away, here in the other harbour in Australia, while music might not face similar restrictions, Batron said that he and Sharifian both face "the strong parallel paths of keeping their culture alive". "It's the same thing where we have to sustain and nurture our culture through the performing arts," Barton told SBS Persian. "That's our ceremony, and so that's what we are, that's what's in our DNA." Ceremonies are an important part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. There are ceremonies for every significant event, including coming of age, marriage, birth and death. Music is one part of these ceremonies, Barton explained. "Music is integral. It's very integral. It's integral to the day that you're born into this world as an Indigenous person ... It helps keep storytelling alive," he said. "Whatever it takes to help sustain that connection to Country, we do that through music." Barton, a descendant of the Kalkadunga tribe, was born in Mount Isa, Queensland. The renowned composer grew up in a musical and diverse family and learned to play the didgeridoo when he was seven years old. The didgeridoo, also known as yidaki, is an instrument made by Aboriginal people at least 1,000 years ago. "Over time, [the didgeridoo or yidaki], intermarriages between different tribes, and it spreads ... and it has its own language to each landscape, and that's important to understand," Barton said. He will be playing this instrument alongside the Sharifian's ney-anban, a wind instrument which is commonly found around Bushehr. According to Barton, the two instruments are played with a similar technique. "That's pretty amazing, because he (Sharifian) uses the circular breathing [technique] as well," he said. "My crossover technique on the didgeridoo or yidaki, as it's known, as well, is the circular breathing ... In and out through the nose, but we store the oxygen in our diaphragm, kind of like the bagpipe." But besides the meeting of two instruments, the artists share a mutual purpose in bringing their cultures together side by side, something beyond the sounds. Sharifian said: "We are distanced a lot from each other, and this distance is increasing day by day." "Let's get together and get away from all the sorrow and chaos that is in this world, and listen to music from far away. "Let's not lose each other in this world." Share this with family and friends Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Persian-speaking Australians. Understand the quirky parts of Aussie life.
