ShowbizMonkeys.com is sometimes lucky enough to cover major events and festivals in film, music, comedy, and pop culture. Whether a major international spectacle like the Academy Awards or a more regional festival like the Winnipeg Folk Festival, we're on the scene with interviews, photos, video, and special commentary.

The Winnipeg Folk Festival has been going strong on the Canadian prairies for over four decades. Music, community, environment, food, fun -- these are all integral parts of what makes the Winnipeg Folk Festival so special year after year. There are travellers from across Canada and the U.S.

Read More  •  Comments ()

The Winnipeg Folk Festival has certainly undergone some changes over the years.

Read More  •  Comments ()

Friday at the Winnipeg Folk Festival is always the first full day, with daytime workshops and concerts taking place at the various smaller stages throughout the festival grounds. While the workshop idea isn't completely unique to Winnipeg, for many artists, it's not only a new idea but in some cases, even intimidating.

Read More  •  Comments ()

Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the previous day -- especially with our Thursday choice for "Artist of the Day", Good Old War, leading off the night -- we arrived to Bird's Hill Park for Day 2 of the Winnipeg Folk Festival before the first notes chimed off the main stage.

Read More  •  Comments ()

Arriving to Bird's Hill Park and the Winnipeg Folk Festival grounds a bit late on the first night of the festival unfortunately meant missing some very talented artists in Snowblink and James Vincent McMorrow (luckily this wasn't our only opportunity to hear either of them, as they'll both be part of the "Your Indie Heart" workshop on Friday afternoon).

Read More  •  Comments ()

2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival Coverage:

• Introduction to the 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival
• 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival: Wednesday Photo Gallery & Round-Up
• 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival: Thursday Photo Gallery & Round-Up
• 2012 Winnipeg Folk Festival: Friday Photo Gallery & Round-Up

ShowbizMonkeys.com tries to bring you loads of coverage from festivals and cultural events, both from our own back yard (Winnipeg Comedy Festival) and around North America (San Diego Comic-Con, Montreal's Just for Laughs Festival). Each festival has its unique charms, and besides hopefully providing interesting things for you to read, listen to, or watch, it's also insanely fun for us. But it's been no secret on these digital pages which festival excites us the most: The Winnipeg Folk Festival -- with its genre-bending (but generally fairly rootsy) line-up of musical acts, the great landscape and climate of the Canadian prairie in July (with a hot sun, and hopefully mosquitoes kept at bay by some friendly dragonflies), and the friendliest group of volunteers and festivalgoers you'll find anywhere -- is the best five days we spend every year.

Read More  •  Comments ()

During his TD Jazz Lab at the Manitoba Music Conservatory, Lucky Peterson played to the people. Taking requests and telling tales, the Buffalo bluesman gave a preview of his storied career. Joined by his wife Tamara, Peterson encouraged audience participation through a number of classics and standards.

Read More  •  Comments ()

"Jazz is not just a genre of music," announced Steve Kirby.

The Manitoba bassist had Juss Jazz packed elbow-to-elbow while his hot quartet ended their set. As the evening unwound, venues facilitated genre-spanning performances all under the Jazz Festival banner.

Read More  •  Comments ()

"I'm so sorry, this is not jazz," proclaimed a flustered patron to his table.

It was midway through Larry and His Flask's set. The man was in a suit and accompanied by two women in fancy dresses. Everyone else in The Pyramid Cabaret was dressed casual, in vests or had facial hair. After killing another shot, the trio departed.

Read More  •  Comments ()

Despite its relatively small size, Winnipeg knows how to throw a summer party! From late June until the end of August, this prairie city known mostly for its cold winters and newly-returning hockey team comes alive with festival after festival celebrating music, theatre, and culture.

Read More  •  Comments ()

< Previous  •  Next >