- Lazer Wolfe, minus Dan, locking up the bikes
Our roaming bicycle gang, Team Lazer Wolfe was in full effect for Folk Fest this year. The tickets can be pricy, so I usually opt for meandering around the shops on the outside of the gate where you can still listen to music. Regardless of price, I still love this time of year. Kallyn’s Top 10 Favorite Things About Folk Fest…
10. Sunset at the beach
9. Everyone in swimsuits
8. Cheap merchandise
7. Getting there by bike
6. Free music outside the gate
5. Good company
4. Hippies in costume
3. The massive bike parking lot
2. Hot weather
And my number 1, favorite thing about Vancouver’s Folk Fest…. The Drum Circle
The night began with John, Duncan and I, weaving in and out of the booths, spying the gear. I was in search of a scarf to replace one I had lost and John needed some Summer shades. I found the best of the best deals, 3 scarves for $10! I sent one back to my lovely friend Becky in Toronto, who at the time this went to press, had completed her massive school paper to graduate but couldn’t come join us in Vancouver. WOOT! Jordana was off gallivanting to the sweet tunes INSIDE folk fest, but ended up meeting up with the rest of the Wolves for dinner. As we left to find dinner, I eagerly walked us past the sea of bike parking that sits in the back field behind the fest itself. It’s a beautiful sight, thousands of bikes all locked up signifying just how many people opted out of driving that day! Lastly, we met up with Dan and Forest (of the TO branch of Lazer Wolfe) who found us a sweet little table in an air conditioned restaurant, just before the place became crowded with ravished folk festers. Team Lazer Wolfe was united.
- Dan and his buddy Forest, being men.
After dinner, we headed back to the beach where we relaxed in the sand until we inched closer to the drums. Listening to the rhythm and beats, it brought back so many memories of when I had first come to the circle with Dan right after we had met. I had laryngitis, so I couldn’t talk at all, but we spent the entire day at the beach and listening to music, ending our evening with the drums. I was also excited for Forest, who hadn’t experienced the craziness of the drums and the maracas and the dancing! So, we all locked our bikes together and immersed ourselves in the mass of people surrounding the drummers.
My favorite part were the fire dancers; two men who waived their flaming sticks and poi balls to the beat of the music. The crowds went crazy, everyone clapped in unison. Even though we weren’t drumming or spinning fire, we were just as much a part of the moment and that’s what makes the drum circle. As we sobered up enough to bike home, I realized that Folk Fest as a whole, had been the greatest thing I had seen that day.
Bicycle Whisperer 