CityFolk kicks off at Lansdowne: Here's what you need to know about the festival
Live music returns to Lansdowne Park this evening, as CityFolk music festival kicks off.
The organizers of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest and CityFolk are hosting the Ottawa Fall Festivals - Two live music events on the Great Lawn at Lansdowne over the next two weekends.
CityFolk runs from Thursday to Saturday, while Ottawa Bluesfest will run from Sept. 23 to 25.
COVID-19 restrictions include only fully vaccinated fans allowed to attend the festival, all patrons must wear a mask at all times except while eating and drinking and capacity is capped at 5,000 people a night.
Attending their first live event in months, married couple Asher and Asha Kaye Jesionka picked a spot on the Great Lawn away from the crowd but still close to the stage.
"I was texting my wife earlier today and say, 'Hon, I'm so excited to go to a show with you and finally experience a snippet of summer,'" said Asher Jesionka.
"It's great, it feels a little weird,” said Jesionka’s wife, Asha Kaye. "Everybody’s vaccinated they’re enforcing mask use so it feels like the right step."
Following Ontario's road map, Step 3 allows festivals like CityFolk to return to the Great Lawn – A big leap for Ottawa as it continues to get through the pandemic.
"I think the fact we are taking the measures has comforted people and people want to hear live music again and this is a great opportunity," said Mark Monohan, executive director of RBC Ottawa Bluesfest and CityFolk.
This is the first of two major live music festivals taking place this month at Landsdowne Park. Next weekend, Bluesfest makes its return which is expected to draw crowds back to this space.
"I’ve missed this; it’s good to be back. It’s good to be back," said Akka Dawood, who showed up to CityFolk with his friends to see Roy Woods perform live.
"There’s a lot of space to be able to move and dance and the front crowd isn’t even crowded that much compared to pre-pandemic, so I felt pretty comfortable around here."
Here is a look at what you need to know about CityFolk.
CITYFOLK LINE-UP
Thursday
- Tome – First Up with RBCXMUSIC
- Roy Woods
- DVSN
- Charlotte Day Wilson
Friday
- Command Sisters
- Moist
- Our Lady Peace
Saturday
- Sacha
- The Reklaws
- Dean Brody
TICKETS
Tickets are only available online for CityFolk and RBC Ottawa Bluesfest. There will be no box office onsite to purchase tickets.
Visit Ottawa Fall Festivals to purchase tickets.
NO CASH
Ottawa Fall Festivals are completely cashless for all purchases on the site, including drinks, food and merchandise.
You can use Apple Pay, Google Pay, tap to pay and all major credit cards at CityFolk and RBC Ottawa Bluesfest.
ATTENDANCE ON THE GREAT LAWN
Attendance will be capped at 5,000 patrons each night during CityFolk to ensure enough space for physical distancing.
Organizers say this is below 50 per cent of the Great Lawn's full capacity.
COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY
Only fully vaccinated COVID-19 fans will be allowed to attend CityFolk this weekend and RBC Ottawa Bluesfest next weekend.
"There are no exemptions (religious or medical reasons) without proof and (patrons) will be required to prove status at the gates either through a digital or printed copy," says a message on the website.
Attendees must comply with the Festival Fan Health Pledge.
Everyone must wear a mask onsite at all times. Organizers say the removal of a mask is allowed as per provincial guidelines when you are eating, drinking, or for other medical reasons.
TRAVELLING TO THE FESTIVAL
OC Transpo service is free to and from the festival. Show your ticket to board transit from three hours before gates open and three hours after the final performance of the night.
Parking is available at Lansdowne Park.
Valet bike parking will be available at Lansdowne.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.