BCFF 2024 FAQs

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Click here to view our full festival schedule.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

The health and Safety of our festival attendees and other participants is of the utmost importance to us. We will be adhering to any and all provincial health guidelines at the time of our event. We currently do not have a masking mandate or vaccine mandate in place, but we reserve the right to change this if new provincial mandates dictate.

Use of protective masking is recommended in lineups and while using the porta potties, but not required.

GATE INFORMATION

There are two gates for the festival:

• Main Gate: near Northwestern Polytechnic’s eastmost parking lot (1 block east of 105 St. and 104 Ave.),

• Gate 2: northwest of the Muskoseepi Pavilion just across the bridge near the Muskoseepi Park Pond

If you are collecting (i.e. will-call) your tickets at the festival site, you must go to the Main Gate where the On-Site Festival Box Office is located.

Gate Opening Times:

• Friday 4:00 PM

• Saturday 9:30 AM

• Sunday 9:30 AM

WRISTBANDS

The type of wristband you get depends on the type of ticket you present at the gate. Three-day (i.e. Weekend) pass holders will get one wristband for the whole weekend. Patrons with a Single Day ticket will get a wristband that is valid only for the day that is indicated on the ticket.

On the first day, any patron with all three Single Day Tickets (Fri/Sat/Sun) may choose to present all three tickets for a weekend wristband. Otherwise, each ticket can be exchanged at the gate on their respective day for a daily wristband.

Your wristband enables you to come and go from the site and is required to be worn at all times while on site to verify your admittance to site. Wristbands are not exchangeable or transferable and should not be removed or tampered with. Patrons who remove their wristband may be escorted from the festival site and refused re-admission. All festival patrons, including children entering free, must have a wristband.

ON-SITE SERVICES

One site services include: Kids Zone, Food and Beverage Concessions, Liquore Service Area, Artisan Crafts, Artist and Festival Merchandise, Lost & Found, First Aid, Safety and Security Tent, Washrooms, Water Fill Stations, and Smoking Area

LIQUOR SERVICE

We proudly serve a variety of Sea Change beers, Shiddy Seltzers, and wine. We have a SITE WIDE liquor license so you can enjoy alcoholic beverages anywhere on our festival site (except for the Smoking Area). No open liquor is allowed to leave the site. Liquor service hours are posted at the service area.

LOST AND FOUND

During the Festival: Lost and Found is located at Main Gate

Post Festival: The Lost and Found takes time to gather, sort, and record…Please contact the festival at info@bearcreekfolkfest.org after the Wednesday following the festival. Lost items will be retained for only a limited time so please check in with us before the end of September.

KEEPING THE PARK CLEAN

Make sure to keep your area tidy and properly discard unwanted refuse in the provided garbage and recycling bins.

LOST KIDS

Know where your kids are! Do not leave children unattended; keep your kids with you after sundown; direct lost kids to the Main Gate or our Safety and Security Tent.

SEATING

The Main Stage seating area has designated accessibility seating for high-backed/high-legged chairs, should patrons require it. Any side stages have fluid high-backed/high-legged seating areas to the side and to the back of the main audience. As such, patrons with high chairs may be required to move as more people sit at a side stage (i.e. the area for high-backed/high-legged chairs moves further back and more to the side).

SEATING MAP

CHAIRS

Main festival seating for any stage allows for only low-backed/low-legged chairs. Chairs must have 8-inches maximum ground to seat / leg height. Maximum 28 inch off-the-ground back height. These restrictions are to allow for unobstructed views of the stage for all patrons The height restriction is there to maximize unobstructed views of the stage for all patrons.

Volunteers will be checking chair heights at the gate and throughout the site. There are designated seating areas should you require use of a higher chair.

TARPS AND SHADE POP-UPS

Tarps can be up to 6 x 8 feet. They may be left unattended in the Main Stage seating area only . Tarps larger than this will be asked to be folded down to size. If you have a very large group and have more than one tarp, please keep your overall footprint to a reasonable size. Also, please eliminate unnecessary space between tarps whilst setting up your space.

Avoid using tarps at side stages when possible – we recommend blankets instead. If you do use a tarp (eg. wet ground, etc.), they must be temporarily placed. There is no staking down tarps or leaving them unattended at side stages to save your spot.

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

We recommend casual clothing with layer options depending on the weather forecast (including rain gear just in case), hat, sunscreen, bug spray, a tarp and/or blanket, and a low-backed low-legged chair.

WHAT SHOULD I NOT BRING?

• High-backed or regular-legged lawn chairs: Max. height for chairs = 28” from the ground, legs/seat no higher than 8” from the ground.

• Pets, alcohol, drugs, glass containers (exception: baby food and bottles)

• Professional video or audio recording equipment. Cell phones are allowed, but we ask no recording of performances.

CAN I BRING MY OWN FOOD AND DRINKS?

Yes, you can bring in your own food and non-alcoholic beverages (no glass containers). There will also be many tasty options at our varied concession vendors that should satisfy many tastes and dietary needs.

Note: Bag check in effect: checking for alcohol, drugs, or glass (baby food & bottles permitted)

SMOKING

Smoking is permitted in the marked designated smoking area. Please see the program book or Main Gate for more details. Smoking is not permitted in any seated area of any stage (including the Main Stage) or anywhere liquor consumption is permitted. It is also not permitted in any line-up per City bylaw. Smoking is only allowed in the designated smoking area(s). Please consider the needs of those around you. You may not bring liquor into the designated smoking area.

CANNABIS

Per our special event permit, cannabis is allowed to be consumed in the designated smoking area(s).

WATER STATIONS

Fill up your water bottle at our FREE water stations. Single-use plastic water bottles will no longer be available for sale on the fest site. Bring cups and water bottles from home, or purchase reusable drinkware onsite.

KIDS ZONE

Join Us For Fun in The Kid Zone!

Children of all ages will enjoy taking part in arts and crafts, activities, FREE Face-painting, playing with the outdoor games and more at the festival.

The Center for Creative Arts will be running soapstone carving sessions for kids! Sign up in our kids tent, and make your own soapstone necklace!

Kids Zone Hours

• Friday 4:30 PM – 8:00 PM

• Saturday 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM

• Sunday 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM

MERCH TENT

Festival merchandise and Artist merchandise is available in our Merch Tent. This is also where any Artist Autograph sessions will be held (check the Merch Tent for signing names and times)

Merch Tent Hours

• Friday Open: 4:00 PM  Close: 11:30 PM

• Saturday Open: 9:30 AM  Close: 10:45 PM

• Sunday Open: 9:30 AM  Close: 10:30 PM

Note:  Merch tent hours may change without notice. On Sunday evening, only Main Stage Artist merch will be available after 8pm until close.

FIRST AID

The First Aid Tent is located just west of Gate 2 (near Stage 2) and is staffed with health care professionals. If you or someone around you requires care and cannot make it to the First Aid Tent, please inform a volunteer and they will contact the First Aid Staff. The First Aid Tent does not supply such items as sunscreen and insect repellent.

EXTRA ACTIVITIES

Saturday

• 10:30am Yoga 

• Location: Grass near Kids Area

Sunday

• 10:30am Tai Chi

• Location: Grass near Kids Area

CANDLES

Thousands of glowing Festival Candles light up our hill in the evenings at Main Stage. Festival Candles will be for sale at the Merch Tent and at the Main Gate. Volunteers will also be walking around selling them.

SPECIAL NEEDS

We will do our best to accommodate patrons with physical challenges. If you have questions or concerns, or require assistance once on site, please ask for an “Access Crew” volunteer when you enter either gate.

Wheelchair access: The easiest access point for wheelchairs is via Gate 2, which enters at the bottom of the hill (just northwest of the Muskoseepi Pavilion). Accessible parking is available in the Muskoseepi Park Pavilion parking lot.

SAFETY & SECURITY

A Safety & Security Tent is located near the Main Gate and is run by Volunteers. Professional and Bonded Security is on site and will rove our liquor service area, gates, and stages. The Police & RCMP will also have a presence. In case of emergency, alert a Volunteer Safety & Security member. (Look for the red volunteer shirts.)

Emergency evacuation info, muster points, etc.

In the event that people must evacuate the festival site, an announcement will be made over the PA system. All fest-goers are to proceed to the nearest emergency exit and gather at the closest designated muster point. All persons are asked to comply with any additional instructions by festival staff and/or volunteers.

Emergency exits are indicated on the festival map.

Muster points are located north, east, south, and west of the site.

• North: across the dam, in the field to the left (west) of the path

• East: Pavilion Parking Lot

• South: GP Museum Parking Lot

• West: Northwestern Polytechnic Parking Lot G (NW corner of 106 St. and 104 Ave.)

We will also make updates on local media, via our Facebook page, and on our website.

HARASSMENT PREVENTION POLICY

The Bear Creek Folk Music Festival Society is committed to a healthy, harassment-free environment for all our volunteers, employees, contractors, artists, and guests. The Bear Creek Folk Music Festival Society has developed a society-wide policy intended to prevent harassment of any type, including sexual harassment, of anyone involved with the festival, and to deal quickly and effectively with any incident that might occur.

To view our full policy, please click here.