I have to say, I’m a little sad to see that festival season is wrapping up; it’s always so representative of summer, heat, unrestricting clothing, sunsets at 9 pm and wandering with no concept of time. There’s something so special about an event where you set up camp, sip cool suds, bump into old friends, sink your toes in the grass, dance, eat and let the hours slip away with a dozen new bands tacked onto your “must buy” list.
Ottawa has become quite the little hub for these fantastic festivals - with Bluesfest becoming internationally renowned for its round-up of countless popular acts, and now the Ottawa Folk Festival is following in the same suit from what I can see. What started out as a small, folky gathering of local acts and small-scale musicians has now grown to a four-day festival celebrating musicians from all corners of the world, all ages and all types. Similar to Bluesfest which often strays from actual blues, Folk Fest isn’t exactly all intimate, rural-ready performances – there are artists who bring a little something else to the table.