As the wildfire situation in Jasper continues, evacuees in Calgary are getting a helping hand from one of the city's cultural mainstays.
The Calgary Folk Music Festival has set aside 500 tickets for Jasper evacuees to attend the event free of charge on Sunday, July 28.
"We've got people that are in town that have been through something that is absolutely terrible and tragic, and we have the opportunity to provide them with just a little bit of levity and some music," said executive director Sara Leishman.
Evacuees are being welcomed across the province. Leishman is happy to welcome those in Calgary to enjoy the festival during these trying times.
"We believe in the healing power of music, and so offering people the opportunity to just come down and take an emotional load off and... relax a little bit is something that we can offer as a community to our broader provincial community."
Held annually since 1980, last year's Calgary Folk Music Festival attracted an estimated 55,000 attendees.
Sunday's lineup includes the likes of English musician Billie Marten and Florida soul singer Leon Timbo alongside big names such as renowned Grammy Award-winning performers Booker T. Jones and Fantastic Negrito.
"Music starts at 10:30 and then goes until 10:30 at night," said Leishman, "so folks can make a full day experience of it or just pop in for a couple of hours and relax a little bit."
Learn more about the Calgary Folk Music Festival, happening July 25 to 28, here.
