By Sarah Klein
People take in the entertainment during the 2010 Winnipeg Folk Festival. (TED GRANT / CHRISD.CA FILE)
The Winnipeg Folk Festival is undertaking a number of green, environmentally-friendly initiatives this year.
The first is the second annual Bike Ride to the Festival, which encourages festival-goers to leave their vehicles at home and hop on their bicycles. A safe-ride van will accompany riders from Elmwood High School, 505 Chalmers Avenue, to the park. Pre-registration is required at WinnipegFolkFestival.ca.
New this year will be the Festival Express, as Winnipeg Transit provides free rides to and from Winnipeg and the festival site. Riders simply show their festival access pass, ticket or wristband and ride for free from anywhere in Winnipeg before continuing their free ride on the Festival Express service.
Campers are encouraged to leave their cars parked during their stay and ride the free shuttle, bike, or walk from the campgrounds to the festival itself. Shuttle buses run every 30 minutes from all three campgrounds — Birds Hill Provincial Park campground, the Festival Campground and Quiet Campground. Bikers will have plenty of space to lock-up their bikes on the racks at the Main Gate.
Also new this year is “upcycling” and composting in the family area. Environmentally conscious crafters of all ages are invited to join the folks at Art Train, and upcycle fabric scraps and found objects into fun accessories to wear. Art Train activities take place from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday through Sunday during the festival.
For schedules of green events and more information, visit WinnipegFolkFestival.ca.
