Over 60 musicians to play August 23-25 at Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival

PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB - The 7th annual Whoop & Hollar Folk Festival of music, art, nature, and community is set for the weekend of August 23rd-25th near Portage la Prairie.  

Over 60 musicians (25 acts) from across Manitoba—including one act from Toronto, ON—will play the three-day festival. Whoop & Hollar’s largest group of performing acts to date promises to be as fresh and musically diverse as ever.

The festival aims to support and showcase local Indigenous talent as part of its core mission and values. Roulette and Glen McCabe are Indigenous Manitoban artists slated to perform this year. Just after 12:00 noon on festival Saturday, the mainstage program will open with a 30-minute performance by the Spirit Horse Singers—a Long Plain First Nation drumming group—who will be joined by traditional jingle dancer Micheline Berard.

Artistic Director Josh Wright describes this year’s lineup as the perfect mix of Americana roots music and contemporary indie folk. Festival goers can also look forward to a crowd-pleasing variety of pop, blues, and rock, with even some undercurrents of Franco-Manitoban, Eastern European, jazz, bluegrass, and soul.

“Friday evening will feature more uptempo bands, Saturday will feature the usual eclectic blend of songwriters and bands, and Sunday will be laid-back with an afternoon of singer-songwriters,” says Wright.

ATLAAS, D.Rangers, Justin Lacroix, and Raine Hamilton are among the list of better-known names on the bill. Dr. Hotbottom, a funk/soul supergroup featuring members of The Bros. Landreth and Dirty Catfish Brass Band, will close the mainstage Friday night. Zrada, a high-energy world music act influenced by Ukraine and Eastern Europe, will close Saturday night.

Two fusion workshops will bring together musicians on-stage for a live improv session during the Saturday afternoon “Song Circle” and Saturday evening “High Gravity Stew Brew,” which will be joined by regular local musicians Chris Messytone and Gareth Rice.

Early Bird Tickets are now on sale until August 1st at Hill’s Drug Store in downtown Portage la Prairie or on the festival website. Performer details can also be found on the festival website at www.whoopandhollar.com.