This morning, we headed out on our bikes to the Newfoundland & Labrador Folk Festival in Bannerman Park. We were armed with directions to the park from the RV kiosk attendant and a poor map (no astrolabe). Along the unmarked bike trails, we became confused several times and asked directions along the way. At one point on our bike journey, Jane was leading and decided to jump three stairs in the path, a maneuver that I’ve never seen her attempt before. She did a great job but her bike refused to cooperate. In the next moment, I saw Jane’s feet flying over the handlebars. The incident looked brutal from behind, but Jane is made of tough stuff and so, got up, brushed herself off, and popped back into the saddle. (Later she cleaned and put a bandaid on a small wound on her elbow.) We proceeded along the trail and after more confusion, found the entrance to the Folk Festival.
Main Stage at the NL Folk Festival
The first performers we heard were Bernie and Robert Felix (guitar and accordion with an amplified stomp board) in the Franco-phone Tent.The were really entertaining and worked up a sweat in the warm tent on their up-tempo numbers. After their performance, we wandered to the food booths and got vegetarian Indian combo platters and fruit smoothies. We spread out our plastic picnic tablecloth on a grassy area in front of the Main Stage and enjoyed good food and the music of a couple called The Dandelion Few. As the next act was setting up, the rains began. We walked briskly to the craft tent and after perusing the wares on sell there, waited out the rain.
The Right Place at
the Wrong Time
During a slack in the rain, we ventured into the small tent area, and entered the Neil Murray Stage tent where the youngsters premiere. We heard a few fo the last tow songs of Hayley & Noah Collins.Hayley was a beginning fiddle playing but her unique vocal performance of Amazing Grace to the chords and melody of House of the Rising Sun was a memorable experience. Next, a young singer-songwriter, Noel Gibbons took the stage. We stayed to hear a couple of his original ballads involving fishing expeditions and harsh marine weather conditions. Seeking shelter from the rain, we then ventured into another tent and heard a couple of tunes by Daori Farrell and then went back the the Franco-phone Tent and heard a few tunes by a modern band, Katapa.
After the afternoon session of the festival ended, the rain stopped and we biked back to the campground pausing at Quidi Vidi lake for take in a low-arced rainbow. Finding our way back to the RV was easier and faster then going. We showered and changed clothes to finally get dry. The rain continues on and off, sometimes intensely. We have another bottle of wine, Canada’s Supper station,and 10 more jigsaw puzzles so it’ll be another cozy evening in the RV.
On the Return Ride
BTW, one of the big stories in Newfoundland this week has been the talk of Jimmy Kimmel running for mayor of Dildo, NF. The evening news has had clips of Kimmel’s remarks and interviews with residents of Dildo, many encouraging him to run and offering him a place to stay. I guess it makes a nice break from the national election (October 21st) speeches and updates on the local curling heroes. Another news story has been a Lymes disease epidemic, “the first epidermic attributed to climate change in Canada”.
