ABOUT
BOARD of DirectorS:
Rob Davis - CHAIR
MEGAN WELLs - VICE-CHAIR
REBECCA SCHILLEMAT - Secretary
Krissy Edwards - Treasurer
CAROL LAWLESS - DIRECTOR AT LARGE
Tanya Nye - Director at Large
Lyn Giles - director at large
Emma MacDonald - director at large
ARTISTIC Director:
Ryan Kemp
CRA Charity Number 858651375RR0001
Business Number 858651375
Peterborough Folk Festival’s main event is a four-day festival on the third weekend of August each year, with gala ticketed concerts on the Thursday and Friday evenings followed by a two-day free-admission outdoor festival at the historic Nicholls Oval Park on the east bank of the Otonabee River.
The Saturday and Sunday festival events are designed to be inclusive to all ages, with three stages of live music, an Artisan Village, a licensed beverage area and what we think is the best Children’s Village of any festival! Admission is free, with donations encouraged and appreciated to help this community event to continue.
Peterborough Folk Festival’s mandate is to foster the artistic and professional development of local culture. We encourage local artists to apply to our Emerging Artist Program and to apply as performers. The festival is free to attend, with donations and sponsorships greatly appreciated and encouraged so we can continue to put on a great weekend of music and arts.
Peterborough Folk Festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit registered charity organization (CRA Charity Number 858651375RR0001) led by a board of directors. As such we’re always looking for volunteers. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact the festival by completing the form on our volunteer page.
First organized in 1989 as part of the now-defunct Peterborough Arts Umbrella, Peterborough Folk Festival became a Not-for-Profit organization in 2001and a registered charity (Business No. 858651375RR0001) under the Income Tax Act in 2018.
PFF's mandate is to foster the artistic and professional development of local culture. The festival brings families together to enjoy some of the best music, arts and cultural experiences in the Peterborough region. PFF is a true community event where residents and visitors come together to experience the best aspects of our community in a welcoming atmosphere.
The PFF mission includes fostering communication within the community, between generations, cultures, and groups; expanding the horizons of our audience through music and the arts; providing a safe and inclusive space for community interaction; creating partnerships within the community that offer mutual support and strength; and honouring the lands we are grateful to share with Indigenous Peoples.
PFF is committed to community engagement, diversity, equity and inclusion. We welcome everyone to participate in PFF events and as a PFF member, particularly Black and Indigenous people, people of colour, trans and non-binary people and disabled people. PFF strives to provide newcomers to Peterborough and Canada with an environment of belonging.
The festival is operated and managed by a volunteer board of directors who in 2019 established the following list of values, which informs our mandate moving forward:
Inclusiveness/ Accessibility
Progressive support of live local music and arts
A commitment to children and families
Environmental sustainability and progressive social consciousness
Diversity in both audience and presentations
Our green policies have dramatically reduced the festival’s environmental impact. The festival sends minimal garbage to landfill, thanks to the efforts of our EcoTeam who wash reusable dishes and work with the City of Peterborough who pick up compost and recycling. The festival also provides drinking water free of charge to festival goers, partners with Generation Solar to provide clean electricity to the Solar Stage, and partners with B!KE Community Bikeshop to encourage cycling to the festival by providing valet bicycle parking, also free of charge.
