It is with great regret that the Cowichan Folk Guild must announce that this year’s 36th Annual Folk Festival, that was to take place at Providence Farm on the weekend of July 24-26th, is being cancelled. Dr. Bonnie Henry has made an official announcement that no festivals or large gatherings will take place over the summer in BC this year.

We were hopeful that the festival would still take place during the early stages of the quarantine, but it soon became apparent that there would be serious implications at play as time went on. While we are disappointed, we stand behind the government’s decision that was made using scientific data and expert consultations. Many of our festival attendees are in vulnerable groups, and it is imperative we keep all of our patrons, artists, and volunteers safe.

All tickets, camping passes, etc. for the 2020 festival will be honoured at the 2021 festival. We have been asked a few times already if we will accept this year’s ticket payment as a donation to the guild to assist us with operating costs, and we will be more than grateful to accept those offers. The festival is our main source of revenue for the year, and we will be exploring ways to minimize the impact we will be feeling, but guarantee we will be back next year with smiles and gratitude to everyone who takes part in our festival.

We had an amazing lineup booked for this year, and will try to roll as much of it over into next year as possible. Now more than ever, musicians, artists, and promoters/crews need our support, as the means to make their living will be on hold for a fair amount of time. Please consider purchasing albums and merchandise directly from your favourite musicians, and be sure to take in several of the live streams many artists are hosting.

The Cowichan Folk Guild is dedicated to providing live music to our community and are considering different ways to do something special the weekend of the festival that you will be able to tune into, so keep an eye out for that. As always, our gratitude goes out to everyone who helps make our festival so special. See you all soon!

If you would like any further comments, or to set up an interview, please contact Artistic Director Andrew Brown at artisticdirector@cowichanfolkguild.ca or by phone/text at 250-802-1213.