Home County future remains up in the air after annual general meeting
The future of the Home County Music and Art Festival remains up in the air.
Dwindling donations, shrinking government grants and fewer volunteers taking leadership roles means it can no longer continue in its existing form.
“2024 is definitely out, and the future of the festival will look different,” said outgoing Home County Folk League Chairperson Sara Lanthier, who stepped down from the post at the League’s annual general meeting Tuesday night. “We won’t be able to keep it the same way as an admission by donation festival for three days in the park.”
Lanthier said the league is striking a committee to consider the future of its work and the festival. It has given itself 90 days to come up with potential scenarios.
At this point, all ideas are on the table.
“Is there a shorter festival? Is there a ticketed festival? Is there no festival at all, and do we just return to the work of the folk league and promote different events for the folk community?” she said.
The original Home County Folk Festival launched in 1974. It survived on donations and government grants, but both are now down while costs have gone up.
The 2023 edition of the festival lost $30,000, according to Folk League Treasurer Paul Tomlinson.
“It’s significant to us,” he explained. “You know when you’re looking at 70, 80, 90 thousand dollars in grants and you get an eight to 10 per cent cut in that, that’s real bottom line money. And we have very few places that we can cut. Inevitably it’s going to be in performers’ fees, so.”
Tomlinson added that it’s getting more difficult to attract corporate sponsors.
While the future of the festival itself remains up in the air, Lanthier said they’ll find other ways to support the arts.
“For people who think that it’s just over, it’s not,” he said. “It’s on a pause while we look at different ideas for the future.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979879.1722078054!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
'We will rebuild': A look inside the wildfire devastation in Jasper
During a tour of the town with Ireland, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and other dignitaries on Friday, the indiscriminate nature of the wildfires could be seen everywhere, with Jasper National Park's glorious mountain peaks overlooking the devastation.
'It's completely gone.' After fast-moving wildfire destroys brother's home, one woman opens her own to evacuees
Kim Titchener knows first-hand how caring the Jasper community can be, and she's hoping to give back as much as possible now that the town and its people are in need.
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump's near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president's ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former president's injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Beloved Fredericton stone beaver statues getting second life with conservation
A team in Fredericton, N.B. is using toothbrushes, scalpels and steamers to spray, pick, massage and brush a 1,300 kilogram limestone sculpture of two beavers that has sat in the heart of the city for more than six decades.
New numbers confirm one-third of Jasper townsite destroyed in this week's wildfire
One-third of all structures in the townsite of Jasper are gone, burned to the ground in this week’s wildfire, officials confirmed Friday.
Taylor Swift's museum era is on full display at London's V&A
Taylor Swift fans who missed her world tour or those who can’t get enough of her can catch her at the museum this summer.
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.