Festival FAQ

The festival is always the weekend following the holiday Monday in August.

The 2019 festival is August 8-11th.

2020 - August 6 - 9
2021 - August 5 - 8

During the festival (August 8-11):

• Drop off or claim lost and found items at the Information Tent (look for the big red balloons)

Following the festival (August 12-23):

• Contact the Edmonton Folk Music Festival Administration Office to claim your lost items

780-429-1899

lostandfound@edmontonfolkfest.org

All lost & found items need to be claimed by August 23rd. Items that are unclaimed will be donated to charity.

Check out our ticket page!

The festival is held in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada in beautiful Gallagher Park » See Map

There is NO ON-SITE PARKING. Use Park & Ride, Edmonton Transit, walk, or bike. Please note that there are enforced parking restrictions in the area of Cloverdale, Strathern, and Bonnie Doon. 

Bike Lock-up Hours of Service

Please do not lock your bike in the park or surrounding community. Bike lock up is located behind the Muttart Conservatory. No supervised overnight bike parking, and no parking for motor bikes.

Park & Ride is available from the University of Alberta (See the next tab for details).

Regular transit service: Call 311 within Edmonton or 780-442-5311 from outside the city for information, or visit takeets.com.

Taxi Service: Please DO NOT CALL taxis. Service is much faster if you go to the taxi stand on 97 Ave. Taxis drop patrons outside the main gate.

Drop-offs:

• Main Gate - If you are getting dropped off or picked up by a rideshare such as Uber or TappCar, or from a friend or family member, you must use the designated drop off point on 98 Ave. (bottom of the hill). There is no public access into the Cloverdale community beyond that point. 
• South Gate (top of hill) - The drop off zone is at 93 St. To cross Connors Road, use the 93 St. crosswalk. NO crossing is permitted at 95 St. due to safety concerns.

Park and Ride: University of Alberta

Park in any Campus Lot (except the Jubilee lot) – Special Folk Fest parking rate is $5.50 per day. This rate is only available on weekends and after 6:00PM in Campus lots.

If you are arriving earlier on Thursday or Friday please park in The Windsor Lot (9217 116 St) as only this parkade will be programmed to accept the $5.50 rate starting at 3:00 PM .

The U of A parking operations have changed to incorporate technology. As such, it is now easy to pay using the Honk mobile app from the comfort of one's vehicle. Otherwise you can pay at the machines with credit or cash.  Remember to park first then pay. Parking via honk before you park does not guarantee you a spot.

Bus pick up – south east corner of the Butterdome (87 Ave and approx. 114 St).

Bus fare – ETS rates apply. Children 12 years and under are free. Exact cash,  ETS passes, tickets and transfers are valid for payment. Also accepted: Strathcona County and St. Albert transit passes.

Please note: bus drivers do not carry change.

Buses run every 30 minutes during the Festival. Hours of operation are:
Thursday  3:30 PM- 11:30 PM
Friday       3:30 PM – 1:00 AM
Saturday  8:30 AM – 1:00 AM
Sunday    8:30 AM – 11:30 PM

There are two entry gates:

• Main Gate/North Gate/Bottom of Hill - 94th St & 97th Ave.
• South Gate/Top of the Hill - Corner of Connors Road & Cloverdale Hill Road

Box Office is located at the Main Gate.

Gate Opening times: 

Thursday  4:30 PM
Friday       4:30 PM
Saturday   9:30 AM
Sunday     9:30 AM

To ensure fair, orderly line-ups that create minimal intrusion and noise in the community, there is a lottery for line-up position for those who wish to line up before the gates open.

The gate lottery is not mandatory – it is used by those who want the closest seats to the main stage. 

2018 Lottery Locations:

1. East Lottery: Located near Stage 1. Lottery winners will be escorted in groups of 25 to the East side of the main stage.
2. West Lottery: Located near the Bike Lock-up. There is no public parking in the neighborhood or at the Muttart for the lottery. Lottery winners will be escorted in groups of 25 to the West side of the main stage.

Gate Lottery Procedure:

Thursday/Friday

1. Arrive between 1:30 - 2:00 pm (no earlier)
2. The draw starts at 2:00 pm, and is completed at 2:30pm.

Saturday/Sunday 

1. Arrive between 6:30 - 7:00 am (no earlier)
2. The draw starts at 7:00 am, and is completed at 7:30 am.

Gate Lottery Rules:

Patrons who wish to participate in the lottery MUST have a festival ticket, wristband, Government ID for proof of age (for youth or senior tickets), or volunteer badge to receive a lottery tag. If you plan to participate in the lottery you should pick up your ticket ahead of time, as the Festival Box Office may not be able to accomodate you in time for the lottery.

• On all days, you must stay in the lottery area until the draw is completed.
• If you leave before the draw, you are ineligible for the draw. One lottery tag for one person, and one tarp only.
• If your friend has a different place in the lottery, they cannot enter with you, they must wait their turn.

Entrance Procession:

Once the lottery draw is completed, participants will be escorted at a walking pace in groups of 25 from entry gates to the seating area. To ensure everyone’s safety, there will be no rush!

Everyone who participates in the lottery must be considerate of our volunteers and of the community. Abuse will not be tolerated.

Thank you for your cooperation!

In the gate line up, volunteers exchange tickets for wristbands as quickly as possible. During peak times, this process may take longer. Please be considerate of the effort our volunteers are making to expedite your visit. 

4-day passes are exchanges for one wristband for the whole weekend. Single Day tickets are exchanged for single day wristbands for the day indicated on the ticket.

All four tickets (Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun) may be redeemed for a weekend wristband on the first day, or as single tickets for daily wristbands. Wristbands are not exchangeable.

Your wristband allows you to come and go from the festival and must be worn at all times. Wristbands must not be removed or tampered with. Lost wristbands can not be replaced. 

To get your wristband early and speed up the entry process out the pre-banding hours at our box office on the Ticket Info page.

• Layered clothing
• Rain gear
• Comfortable footwear
• Sunscreen & bug spray
• Something to sit on… like a tarp! (Max. size 8'x10')
• Low-backed, low-legged chair
• Snacks & beverages – no alcohol or glass containers
• Your tickets
• Cash – many vendors are cash only

• High-backed, or regular-legged lawnchairs: Maximim chair height = back no higher than 26 in. off the ground, legs/seat no higher than 8 inches off the ground.
• Pets of any kind
• Alcohol or illegal drugs
• Glass containers or bottles
• Professional photo, video or audio recording equipment

Note: Bag checks in effect.

Yes, you can bring in your own food and non-alcoholic beverages. There are many tasty options from our vendors that should satisfy many tastes and dietary needs. See a full list of vendors here.

Mainstage:

• Thursday: 6 – 11:00 PM.
• Friday 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM.
• Saturday 2-3 PM & 7 PM to 12:00 AM.
• Sunday: 2-3 PM and 7 PM to 11 PM.

Side stages 

• Friday 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
• Saturday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM & 3:00PM to 7:00 PM
• Sunday:11:00 AM to 2:00 PM & 3:00PM to 7:00 PM

How do I know what’s on when? View the full schedule here, buy a program book, or download the Edmonton Folk Music Fest app.

• Bike lock-up
• Children's Activities
• Food Vendors
• Beer Garden
• Merchandise sales
• Firstfirst aid
• Water refill stations
• Compost and recycling stations,
• ATMs
• Morning Yoga!

Visit the info tent, purchase a program book, or download our free app for complete information.

Do you have Children? The Info tent is marked by large balloons. Show your children where to go if they are separated from you.

Lost and Found:

• During the festival - Visit the Information Tent
• Following the Festival - it takes a while to accumulate! Please contact our office at 780-429-1899 the week following the festival. Lost items will be donated if not claimed by September

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival has a program to accommodate patrons with physical challenges. If you have questions, concerns or require assistance, please ask for an Access Crew volunteer when you enter the festival.

Accessible parking near the Main Gate (bottom of hill). This limited parking is first come, first served. For reliable service, Taxi and DATS vehicles drop off and pick up directly outside the Main Gate.

For patrons who have purchased a ticket and require an attendant, the attendant is admitted at no charge. For patrons who qualify for free admission, an attendant requires a ticket. 

Seating Areas: There is an accessible covered seating area next to the main stage. Most side stages also have small accessible seating area. Space in these areas is restricted to the person who requires it plus one attendant.

Hearing impairment: Magnetic induction loops have been installed for hearing assistance. Visit the Information Tent for a loop receiver (or use your T-switch hearing aid) and look for signed locations at each stage.

Visual impairment: Braille and large print schedule information is available at the Information Tent.

Policies, Safety and Etiquette – Good Neighbor Guidelines

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival plays host to 100,000 patrons over four days. In order to ensure the best possible experience for everyone involved, please be aware of our good neighbor policies. Most of these guidelines are common sense – please be considerate to everyone on the hill.

• Use only the space you need - At the Main Stage, tarps may be no larger than 8' x 10'. No tarps may be left at side stages. These stages will be cleared of unattended tarps and chairs between sessions.

• Don’t Block the View - Please be aware of chair height limits: 26” from the ground to top of the back, with maximum 8” legs/seat. Please ensure that your chair is not too tall. Small tents or lean-tos are only permitted at the very top of the hill. Dance at the side of stages in dance areas.

• Shhhhh... listen to the music - Turn off your phone and don’t talk during performances. Most folks want to hear the music, not your conversation. If you need to talk – including on your cell phone – please move away from stage seating areas.

• No Smoking Areas - Smoking is not permitted in any seated area of any stage (including Main Stage), inside the beer garden, or in any line-up. Note: This includes vaping.
• Smoking is permitted in the north east corner of Stage 1 or at the top of Area 4 during the day. Please follow all smoking signage.

• Pitch in - Put your compostables, recyclables and garbage in appropriate bins, put cigarette butts in the provided receptacles. Help us keep Gallagher Park clean!

• Know Where Your Kids Are - Do not leave children unattended. Children must be supervised. Direct lost kids to the Information Tent.

Edmonton has many hotels located downtown. short distance from the festival. Contact your travel agent or Edmonton Tourism.

The Bennett Centre:  Located right across the street, the Bennett Centre offers a premium location for Folk Fest accommodations. The private hostel-style rooms accommodate up to four individuals (bunk beds). Visit bennettcentre.epsb.ca .

St. Joseph's College:

Located at the University of Alberta, minutes from all amenities and our Park and Ride location. Single dorm and 2 & 4 bedroom suites available. For information and reservations please email sjcres@ualberta.ca or call 780.868.9190

Camping: As we are located in Central Edmonton, there is no on-site camping. Camping is available at Rainbow Valley Campground, located near Whitemud Creek.

For information regarding other attractions in Edmonton, visit exploreedmonton.com

Edmonton Folk Festival 2018 Site Map