In an exciting development just announced by festival director Brian Gladstone, the fifth edition of
Toronto's annual Winterfolk Festival, taking place from Feb. 9-11/07 at several clubs on Danforth Avenue near Broadview in Toronto, ON, will offer free admission to all events.
The festival will still offer a plethora of established and up-and-coming Roots and Blues acts, as well as workshop-style events and a themed showcase, says Gladstone, who founded the festival in 2003 and continues as director under the auspices of The Association of Artists For A Better World, a registered Ontario non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and presenting music of substance.
This year's showcase theme will be "The Spirit Of New Brunswick", featuring several artists from that province including Hot Toddy, Brent Mason, Shanklin Road and Ryan Leblanc as well as others yet to be named by artistic director Randi Fratkin, now in her second year in that role, after working with Mariposa Folk Festival for several seasons.
Artists booked so far include highly acclaimed veteran performers Norm Hacking, Danny Marks, Michael Brennan, Marianne Girard, Brian Blain, Greg Quill and BeBop Cowboys. The roster also includes Trio Bravo, Dale Nikkel, Choir Girlz, Laura Repo, Nancy Dutra, David Celia, Wendell Ferguson, Jory Nash, David Gillis, Greg Hobbs, Laura Fernandez, Marty Allen, Pat Robitaille and Gladstone's new Folk trio with Noah Zacharin and Mr. Rick, i.e. The Guitar Boys of Alderon.
The festival also offers showcase opportunities for local music associations, including The Toronto Fingerstyle Guitar Association and the Nashville Songwriters Association of Canada, as well as for the organizers of ongoing music events such as the Songwriters' Showcase at Moonshine Caf� in Oakville and Dr. B's Acoustic Medicine Show open stage at Renaissance Caf� in Toronto.
Gladstone says implementation of year-round fundraising as well as "the generous support of the Canada Council and local sponsors" is enabling the organization to dispense with admission charges this year. "We expect this will increase attendance and public access to the music, which is the whole point of the event," he said.
The Association of Artists for a Better World, which Gladstone also founded, has operated the festival since its third season and also produces an annual concert each summer at Mel Lastman Square, as well as having released five compilation albums of songs from artists across the world
with themes relating to enhancing environmental and social awareness. For more information on those albums and the association, see www.abetterworld.ca.
From its humble beginnings in the Spadina-College area in 2003 as the visionary experiment of one man, Winterfolk has grown to become a major annual community event and a member of the Ontario Council of Folk Festivals. The 2007 edition promises to be a watershed event that will be
remembered for many, many years to come.
CONTACT: Brian Gladstone, Founder and Festival Director
INTERVIEWS: [email protected] , 416 347 1639
EVENT: Winterfolk V Roots and Blues Festival
WHAT: Winterfolk is an indoor music festival featuring over 80 artists in 6 venues for 3 days of roots and blues music.
WHEN: February 9-11/2007
WHERE: Six venues at the corners of Danforth and Broadview, in Toronto, ON, including the Black Swan, Dora Keogh, Terry O's, The Willow Restaurant, The Prince of Egypt
TICKETS: None
DOOR: No admission charge.
WEBSITE: www.winterfolk.com
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