Mariposa Folk Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mariposa Folk Festival |
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Mariposa 1975 album cover
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| Genre | Music festival, arts festival |
| Dates | July 3–5 (2020 dates) |
| Location(s) | Tudhope Park, Orillia, Ontario, Canada |
| Years active | 1961-present |
| Founded by | Ruth Jones (nee McVeigh), Dr. Crawford (Casey) Jones |
The Mariposa Folk Festival is a famous Canadian music festival that started in 1961 in Orillia, Ontario. It's a big event that celebrates folk music, dance, crafts, and storytelling. The festival was held in Orillia for its first three years. However, it had to move because of some rowdy behavior from festival-goers. After being held in different places across Ontario for many years, it finally returned to Orillia in 2000. Today, it continues to be a popular summer event in Orillia.
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The Festival's Start
The idea for the Mariposa Folk Festival came from Ruth McVeigh and her husband, Dr. Casey Jones. They were inspired by a book called Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock, which was about Orillia.
The very first Mariposa Folk Festival happened in August 1961. It was organized by Ruth and Dr. Crawford Jones, along with David Major and Pete McGarvey. All the performers at this first event were Canadian. The festival quickly became very popular.
Moving Around Ontario
By 1963, the festival had grown so much that over 8,000 tickets were sold in advance! But with so many people, there wasn't enough security, and some festival-goers caused disturbances. Because of this, the city of Orillia stopped the festival from happening there.
So, in 1964, the festival moved to Toronto at Maple Leaf Stadium. For the next few decades, Mariposa moved to many different locations in Ontario. It was held at Innis Lake in Caledon, on the Toronto Islands, and later at Harbourfront (Toronto) and Molson Park in Barrie.
Finally, in 2000, the city of Orillia invited the Mariposa Folk Festival to come back home. Since then, it has been held in Tudhope Park in Orillia every year.
How the Festival Changed
In 1966, the festival's style changed a lot under the direction of Estelle Klein. Instead of just big concerts, it started focusing more on workshops. This meant there were many stages where different performances and learning sessions could happen at the same time. This allowed people to explore various types of folk music and skills.
In 1968, the festival began on a Friday night for the first time. It was advertised with a focus on these workshops, rather than just on the main performers. In 1969, the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) even filmed a documentary about the festival called “Mariposa: A Folk Festival.”
The 1970s and Beyond
The 1970s brought more changes and growth to Mariposa.
- In 1970, a special "Native People area" was added, which was very popular. Workshops also explored different musical styles and traditions.
- In 1971, the festival focused entirely on workshops and smaller performances. There were no big evening concerts. This helped promote new and lesser-known artists.
- Even heavy rain couldn't stop the 1972 festival! Famous musicians like Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Gordon Lightfoot came to watch. Some even performed, sharing their time with other artists.
- The 1973 festival brought musicians from all over the world, including Africa, England, and the United States.
- In 1975, which was International Women's Year, the festival featured many more female performers.
- In 1976, the festival received a grant to include a special group of Indigenous performers from the prairies.
- The 1977 festival explored the roots of North American folk music, looking at black, Spanish, French, and English traditions.
- By 1979, the festival had a special area for craftspeople, musicians, and storytellers from Labrador. It also offered more folk music activities for children.
50th Anniversary Celebration
In 2010, the Mariposa Folk Festival celebrated its 50th event! It featured a mix of classic Mariposa artists and new, rising talents. Famous musicians like Gordon Lightfoot, Murray McLauchlan, and Ian and Sylvia performed on the main stage. New performers also got a chance to shine through an "up and coming showcase" program.
To mark this special anniversary, York University launched an online exhibit. It showed old photos and documents from the festival's early years.
Famous Performers
Many well-known artists have performed at the Mariposa Folk Festival over the years. Some of them include:
- Jackson Browne
- Bruce Cockburn
- Leonard Cohen
- Bob Dylan
- Gordon Lightfoot
- Joni Mitchell
- Buffy Saint-Marie
- Neil Young
- John Prine
Mariposa in the Schools
In the mid-1970s, the Mariposa Folk Festival started offering concerts and workshops just for kids. They also created a program called "Mariposa in the Schools." This program brought folk musicians to schools across Ontario all year round. While the school program ended in 2018, the festival still has special activities for children during the festival weekend in their "Folkplay" area.
