The Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society is a Canadian nonprofit organization responsible for producing the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, an annual outdoor multistage music festival held at Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Society, registered under the business number 119261030RR0001, was formally established in late 1979 to oversee the festival's organization and operations.

History

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival began in 1978, originally held in Stanley Park before relocating in its second year to Jericho Beach Park, where it continues today. Initial sponsorship came from the City of Vancouver, but by the end of 1979, control of the festival was transferred to the newly formed Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society, a nonprofit entity created specifically to manage the event.

The festival was co-founded by Mitch Podolak, a key figure in Canadian folk festivals who had also helped establish the Winnipeg Folk Festival, along with Colin Gorrie, Ernie Fladell, Franz Fitzgibbon, and Gary Cristall. Ernie Fladell, a cultural planner with the City of Vancouver, became instrumental in supporting and shaping the festival after becoming familiar with the model through Podolak.

In its early years, the Society not only produced the annual festival but also operated a record label and distribution company called Festival Records, which helped promote folk and roots music.

Activities and Cultural Significance

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival is internationally renowned for showcasing a diverse range of traditional and contemporary folk and roots music from around the world. It is held annually on the third weekend of July, attracting tens of thousands of attendees each year. The Festival emphasizes community participation, featuring performances by over 40 international, national, and local artists spanning genres such as folk, world music, singer-songwriter, bluegrass, and hip hop.

Beyond music, the festival fosters a family-friendly environment with food, children’s activities, and opportunities for cultural exchange, drawing multiple generations together to celebrate music and community.

The Society acknowledges the Festival's location on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples—including the sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations—highlighting its respect for Indigenous cultures.

Impact and Recognition

Over its more than four decades of operation, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society has played a vital role in developing artists and audiences on local, national, and international levels. The Festival is a beloved cultural institution in Vancouver, having been recognized multiple times as the "Best Local Music Festival" by readers of local publications such as Georgia Straight.

The Society continues to uphold the Festival’s founding traditions while placing strong emphasis on emerging and diverse artists, contributing to the vitality and evolution of folk and roots music in Canada and beyond.

Note: The official website associated with the Society is www.thefestival.bc.ca.

[1] https://thefestival.bc.ca/about-the-festival/ [2] https://thefestival.bc.ca/a-history-of-the-festival/ [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Folk_Music_Festival [4] https://thefestival.bc.ca/vfmf-eprogram/ [5] https://vfss.ca/about/history/