John Arcand Fiddle Fest brings generations of music lovers together for four fun-filled days
Tap your toes, kick up your heels and join in the fun of the John Arcand Fiddle Fest! Offering something for everyone, the John Arcand Fiddle Fest brings people of all ages together for one extraordinary entertainment experience!
Presented by PotashCorp from August 13 to 16, the John Arcand Fiddle Fest returns for an 18th year to Windy Acres, conveniently located just 10 kms southwest of Saskatoon, just off the Pike Lake Highway. The fields and grounds will become a temporary village as visitors from across Canada come to take part in four days filled with music, dance and family friendly fun.
AFFORDABLE? YOU BET!
“Master of the Métis Fiddle,” John Arcand created Fiddle Fest to share traditional Métis culture, music and dance with new generations. “To achieve our mandate, we do everything we can to make sure the festival is affordable for all to attend,” says festival director Vicki Arcand. Designed to be family-friendly, a weekend pass is just $60; a day pass $25; and children 12 and under are admitted free.
“This is a one-time gate fee,” says Vicki. “Once you pay that to enter there are no additional costs for any of the programming.”
ACCESSIBLE? YOU BET!
Easy to find, the festival is conveniently located just 10 kms southwest of Saskatoon, with free shuttle service from four locations in Saskatoon! Just park and ride from The Mall at Lawson Heights, Market Mall, Confederation Mall and sponsoring hotel, the Heritage Inn. See the schedules on this page or visit www. johnarcandiddlefest.com for more details.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE? YOU BET !
The four-day event is truly an entertainment extravaganza, offering 105 music, dance and art workshops, nightly concerts and old-time dances, daytime programming, children’s activity area, Métis Cultural Camp, a fiddle contest, gospel hour and tons of organic unplanned jams and networking.
You won’t find a festival event more inclusive than the Fiddle Fest! A fourday pass even gives festival-goers access to free un-serviced camping on-site at Windy Acres and there’s full concession service as well.
The Fiddle Fest always kicks off with two full days of free educational workshops, open to all ages and every skill level, from beginners to advanced musicians. “To be able to participate in over 100 workshops at no cost is something that sets the John Arcand Fiddle Fest apart from other gatherings of its kind,” says Vicki.
The established workshops series offers fiddle, guitar, jigging and square dancing. The addition of the Métis Cultural Camp three years ago means you can now partake in two types of Métis Beading (as well as a Kids Can Bead series), Métis finger weaving, story-telling and traditional Métis dance.
Due to the huge demand for the Métis traditional dance workshops, they have been moved from the Cultural Camp area to the main stage’s larger dance floors. This year, the workshops will begin once the fiddle preliminaries are done on Saturday afternoon.
Designed to be participatory, each traditional dance will be demonstrated and then taught. “This is a rarity – to have skilled instruction on dances like the Drops of Brandy, the Duck Dance, The Rabbit Dance, the Reel of Four and Reel of Eight,” say Vicki.
“We are proud of the growth in the Cultural camp and see the move to the larger space as a great sign that folks not only want to know about, but enjoy learning more about the Métis Culture. This is due in part to the amazing people that will do the instructing. ”
Two types of beading will be led by Mary Lou Mintram and Karry-Lyne Schnell; finger-weaving taught by Krystle Pederson; story-telling with Maria Campbell; and children’s story time by Wilfred Burton. Traditional dance workshops will be led by the incredibly talented Creeland Dancers. “That’s a lot of talent and a lot of pride in our culture and traditions,” says Vicki.
The festival’s fiddle instructors are the finest western Canada has to offer, including John Arcand, Calvin Vollrath, Patti Kustoruk, Gord Stobbe, Daniel Gervais, Rodney Krip, Fay McKenzie, Shamma Sabir, Lucas Welsh and Tahnis Cunningham. “Not only do they teach the workshops, you can see them all in concert at the Thursday night Instructors’ showcase and again as they join John on stage for the Saturday night concert – John Arcand and Special Friends,” says Vicki.
Also on offer are guitar and Red River Jigging workshops for two full days! Guitar is led by Freddie, Sheila and Clinton Pelletier; Red River Jigging instructors are Yvonne Chartrand and Raymond Shumi.
Square dance workshops are led by Gordon Stobbe and backed up by Saskatchewan’s very own JJ Guy. Providing house accompaniment is Trent Bruner; Desiree Steele is in the fiddle contest practice tent. Vicki exclaims, “You really can’t find a better mix of musicians and dancers. We are so proud of our roster and so pleased that the caliber of our workshops is so high. Really – at no charge – where can you get this kind of teaching? ”
Concurrent to the workshops are afternoon concerts beginning at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. The main stage entertainment boasts an all- Saskatchewan line-up: The Chickadees, Patty Tuddy, Redberry Grass and Byron Olson.
The eagerly anticipated Fiddle Instructors’ Showcase begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, as the country’s top fiddlers perform individually and then unite for an incredible group performance.
The Friday Evening Showcase, beginning at 6:30 p.m., features: Freddie and Sheila Pelletier, The Residuals, JJ Guy and Gordon Stobbe – and the Deaf Native Hoop Dancer, Mr. Burton Bird. “Burton was born deaf, but follows the vibration of the music. Add this to the skill and flair of hoop dancing, and it’s a show you do not want to miss,” says Vicki.
Following the showcase on Friday, festival-goers will flock to the dance floor for the Old Time Dance featuring JJ Guy and Friends.
The annual Fiddles and Flapjacks Pancake Breakfast is a tasty start to Saturday’s extensive activities, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Saskatchewan Fiddle Connections will entertain the crowd with live fiddle music, while pancakes are enjoyed by all.
Much of the excitement on Saturday and Sunday focuses on the event’s Fiddle Contest. Competitors from Canada and the U.S. will vie for honours and serious cash prize money.
Saturday evening’s concert, “John Arcand and Special Friends,” is always a crowd favourite! Following that show, it’s another old-time dance with Bannock country. “Two old-time dances with a live band is something not seen too often these days. It’s always remarkable to see the different generations all up there dancing together, and the dance floor is always packed!”
On Sunday morning, Larry Kraus will take the stage at 9 a.m. for the non-denominational Gospel Hour – then it’s on to the fiddle contest finals.
“A big shout-out to our many sponsors and funders!” says Vicki. “Their support has certainly played a large role in keeping our festival going and growing and has enabled us to keep admissions affordable and accessible to everyone in the community.” For more information, visit www. johnarcandfiddlefest.com or all the festival office at (306) 382-0111.