Submitted
Five years and still trucking on!
Wapiti turns five this August. After all the years of folk stoke in the sun and rock ’n’ roll under the stars, Wapiti is still trucking on for more music in Fernie’s backyard.
No doubt about it, the first year the organizers were living on a prayer. None of the board members had any real experience running music festivals and went out on an ambitious limb and booked Fernie’s new music festival.
One fond and hilarious memory of that very first Friday night of Wapiti was the dirt cloud that kicked up from the magnitude of foot stomping, causing a dirt halo to hang over Annex Park (such dirt cloud no longer prevails due to the efforts of some dedicated board members planting grass seeds over the years).
The next day Fernie and its visitors discovered the Fernie festival experience. Right from the gourmet food trucks and face paint to cold beer in the sun and of course the music! Shred Kelly took the stage at dusk and a festival had been born.
Focusing on up and coming Canadian indie music, Wapiti is keeping things fresh yet quaint and cozy tucked down in Annex Park. The lineup will be revealed in a joint party with The Northern Bar and Stage featuring Delhi 2 Dublin on March 13. More details will be available on the Wapiti website.
Wapiti launched its 2015 ticket sales on Sunday March 1 at 10 a.m. online and at Le Grand Fromage in downtown Fernie. Weekend Passes are $79 including tax, but the first two tiers are on sale! Early Bird Pre-sale is $49 (incl. tax) in limited quantities. Advance Tickets are on sale for $59 (incl. tax) until June 15. As always, kids 12 and under and seniors 65 and older are free.
Visit www.wapitimusicfestival.com for tickets and information.
The Wapiti Music Festival runs two days, Friday Aug. 7 and Saturday Aug. 8. Plan to join the kickoff Thursday evening with a free outdoor concert downtown at The Arts Station. Expect to rock, expect to dance, expect the unexpected.