Did a bit of Googling today and decided to provide the links in one easy-t0-locate place: not complete, by any means-
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival: the granddaddy of them all- not the oldest, but certainly the biggest- August 9-12 featuring http://www.edmontonfolkfest.org/performers-2; more to be announced.
The Calgary Folk Music Festival: maybe my favourite music festival- July 26-29 featuring http://www.calgaryfolkfest.com/artists/
The Canmore Folk Music Festival: if you don’t count the cost of accommodations, the best deal of the bunch- August 4-6 featuring http://www.canmorefolkfestival.com/Festival-Lineup.html
Carstairs’ Mountain View Music Fest is going in a different direction, spreading their events over the course of the year: info at http://mvmf.ca/about-2/
Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Music Festival at Stony Plain- August 3-5: once upon a time, I considered Blueberry to be a fixture of my year. I’ve only attended a couple or three times in the past decade- for lots of reasons, some to due with my disinterest in much of mainstream bluegrass as well as just being dang busy- but the show is usually pretty good. This year’s lineup doesn’t have a ‘homerun’ artist perhaps- Rhonda’s music and act has gotten a bit stale, but some of the acts including Blue Highway and the Gibson Brothers are among the best in the business. Michael Martin Murphey- if he doesn’t try to pretend to be bluegrass- may be worth catching. http://www.blueberrybluegrass.com/
Central Music Festival in Red Deer, August 17-19. The little festival that just won’t quit, bless ’em. With a focus on Alberta and regional acts, the fest doesn’t draw the big names but is trying to slowly grow. http://www.centralmusicfest.com/ They also have a fundraising concert with Steve Earle June 15.
South Country Fair, July 20-22. No info yet: http://www.scfair.ab.ca/
North Country Fair, June 22-24 http://www.lslncca.ca/current/Lineup.php
Interstellar Roadeo, July 27-29 in Edmonton http://interstellarrodeo.com/
Fervor Coulee- roots music opinion 