'Absolutely wonderful': Folk Fest a success in 2023 with record numbers

The 48th edition of Winnipeg Folk Fest has come and gone and it is being deemed a success.

Organizers said there were sellouts for the four-day festival tickets, the Sunday tickets and both campgrounds were sold out. On top of all that, the overall attendance was 74,500, marking the second-highest attendance record, only behind 2019.

"It was absolutely wonderful," said Lynne Skromeda, the executive director of the Winnipeg Folk Festival.

"Things were in full force this year and we had fewer problems than we had last year as well."

Skromeda said organizers learned from some of their hiccups in 2022 and were able to plan and work seamlessly.

"The feedback has been tremendous. We have been so pleased, everything from the food at our vendors, which are all local restaurants, to the talent on the stage. People were saying the lineups weren't even that long and if they're long, they go so fast."

Even some unfriendly weather didn't stop the festivities.

"Thursday night was a bit of a challenge. That really started off with a bang because we had a big storm out there, which caused a show delay of about an hour. But it passed through and everything got back on track."

Skromeda said she hopes next year's festival can feed off of this year's success.

"We really feel like we've found our sweet spot. We just hope it continues again."

Winnipeg Folk Festival will run again from July 11 to 14 in 2024.