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— Jeanette Ageson, publisher

Support The Tyee

Here's what we're up against....

Global tech giants blocking Canadian news on their platforms. Political candidates purposely eroding trust in journalists. AI slop enabling a flourishing of misinformation online, with no accountability. Billionaire newspaper owners blatantly interfering with the editorial choices of their newsrooms.

To be a news publisher these days, committed to the slow, methodical work of talking to real people, verifying facts, is incredibly challenging. Not only are there bad actors that intentionally try to stymy good quality reporting, the business environment for journalism has been fundamentally disrupted, meaning that many of the institutions we used to rely on for high-quality journalism are struggling.

Against many odds, though, The Tyee is making it work, with the help of our readers. We've chosen a path that seems improbable -- we don't have a paywall, and we're very selective with our advertising partners that we work with. And we've been growing our team of professional journalists and increased our freelance budget. The only reason we can do this is because a small percentage of our readers chip in to our editorial budget through our Tyee Builders program.

This amazing group of readers means that The Tyee has persisted and published essential public-interest journalism for the past 21 years, and we have a good shot at being around for a long time in the future. But we can only maintain and grow our operations if readers continue to show up.

In this time of uncertainty, and with a federal election coming up, we need good journalism now more than ever. If you appreciate what you read on The Tyee and would like to help our independent, non-profit do more, please consider joining Tyee Builders today. You choose the amount, the frequency, and you can cancel at any time.

— Jeanette Ageson, publisher

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Events, contests and other initiatives by The Tyee and select partners.

CONTEST: Win Tickets to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Three lucky Tyee readers will each win a pair of tickets to a full day of events and performances.

Vancouver Folk Music Festival 3 Jul 2024The Tyee

A large crown gathers around a performance stage at dusk, surrounded by mountains and party cloudy skies.
Located in ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival not only offers brilliant music by extraordinary artists from around the world, but is located in one of the world’s most beautiful festival sites. Photo via VFMF Aigner.

The Vancouver Folk Music Festival has become one of this region's most beloved annual events over its 46 years. It's known for presenting extraordinary and diverse music from artists and cultures close to home and around the globe — it's the people's music that, often, festival audiences might otherwise not know about or get to hear.

The festival runs from late afternoon Friday, July 19, through Sunday, July 21, at ʔəy̓alməxʷ Jericho Beach Park. During the weekend, audiences can enjoy concerts and workshops across three daytime stages and an evening main stage. A weekend at the festival is a voyage of discovery with three days of inspiration, empowerment, delight — and a bit of magic.

The 2024 festival lineup features over 45 acts from across North America and more than 15 countries. Festival audiences will hear the U.K.'s Grace Petrie, whose music "is firmly entrenched in the U.K.'s time-honoured socialist, feminist, queer indie pop that has always been a great soundtrack to social change," says music writer Stuart Derdeyn.

Also on the roster is BCUC, a seven-piece Afro-pop group from Soweto; Juno award-winning Maliseet singer-songwriter Jeremy Dutcher; Jordan-based Palestinian music collective 47Soul, whose music speaks to the need for freedom of movement beyond borders; singer and bandura player KRUT, from Ukraine, who uses her culture's revival as a tool of resistance through music, and; legendary U.S. singer-songwriter and activist Iris DeMent — just to name a few!

Winners will each receive two tickets for a single day at the festival, which provides entry for them and a friend through the festival's main gate on Fourth Avenue in Jericho Beach Park. On Friday, gates open at 2 p.m. and the music runs to 11 p.m. Gates open at 9 a.m. and music starts at 10 and runs to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. While at the festival, ticket holders can access all music stages and a number of on-site public amenities.

The full list of artists, festival performance schedules, tickets and other 2024 info is available on the Folk Fest website. Children 12 years and younger get in free with a caregiver or parent.

In addition to a weekend of amazing music, the festival features the Little Folks Village, with performances and activities specially for kids and families; the Artisan Market, with over 30 booths of unique and beautiful items; Pete's Eats global food court; licensed sales on site; the Community Village for local organizations to share info on their work; and Vancouver Folk Music Festival souvenir and artist merchandise booths.

The festival is environmentally conscious, with compost and recycling stations around the park, and freshwater stations available for all to access (no bottled water is sold on site, so folks are reminded to bring their own bottles). Around 1,500 community volunteers help make the festival run every year.

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About the Vancouver Folk Music Festival

Vancouver Folk Music Festival is a not-for-profit society and charitable organization with a goal of presenting one of Vancouver’s most celebrated and beloved music festivals every year. The festival values artistic excellence, diversity and inclusiveness, environmental stewardship and social justice.

The festival takes place on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation. To learn more about the lineup and this year’s offerings, go to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival website. [Tyee]

Read more: Music

This article is part of a Tyee Presents initiative. Tyee Presents is the special sponsored content section within The Tyee where we highlight contests, events and other initiatives that are put on either by us or by our select partners. The Tyee does not and cannot vouch for or endorse products advertised on The Tyee. We choose our partners carefully and consciously, to fit with The Tyee’s reputation as B.C.’s Home for News, Culture and Solutions. Learn more about Tyee Presents.

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