RED ROCK — Even through the rain, one thing was clear: the Live from the Rock Folk Fest wouldn’t exist without its volunteers.
From stage management to songwriting workshops and youth mentorship, volunteers were behind every part of the three-day event, held Aug. 8 to 10 on the shores of Lake Superior in Red Rock.
Organizers said this year’s focus was on building the next generation of folk leaders, which meant more hands-on roles for youth, including mentorship from experienced performers and a push to make volunteer work more accessible.
“We didn’t think about mentorship or that kind of turnover as the years went on,” said Elly Tose, the festival’s artistic director.
From that idea, Cathy Morgan, the volunteer coordinator, came up with a mentorship opportunity during the festival.
“Which I think is brilliant,” Tose said.
Morgan, during the festival, had paired high school students with stage hosts, giving youth a chance to run the mic, announce acts and gain real event experience.
“She’s also been breaking jobs into pieces,” Tose said.
While somebody might not be able to take on all service logistics, she explained that they could organize the gate.
The festival volunteers hope this opportunity will help make it easier to get new people involved in the festival.
Morgan also facilitated the songwriting workshop that took place on Saturday afternoon — another example of how volunteers wear many hats.
Each year, the workshop follows a theme. This year’s theme was ‘Good Folk, Great Music,’ but the content and tone often evolve with the participants.
Stuart Maclean from Thunder Bay and Nick Warren from Atikokan, who perform together, took the roles of the lead mentors for the workshop.
Warren explained that he had never written in a group before.
“I write by myself in a stark, secluded room with nobody listening,” Warren said.
With that, he added that he was very nervous because people need to be vulnerable to write and he does not like doing that in front of people.
However, Warren said he was with a good group and they were able to turn it into something.
"I’d call it a success,” Warren said.
This festival would also not be a success without its long-running volunteers, such as Karen Roen, who has been volunteering for the last 23 years.
Rowan has been a witness to the growth of the festival.
“Some of (the) younger kids when I was in my 20s... they were five and six years old and now we’re jamming out together at the fire afterwards,” Rowan said.
“And it’s a really, really nice experience to have with them and watching them grow up here.”
“There are people that I’ve met here and they’re not just friends, they are now family,” she added.
While attendees and performers at this year’s event gave big shout-outs to all the volunteers, organizers said they know there’s always room to grow and want to ensure the festival continues to reflect the values and needs of the people it serves.
People can learn more about the folk festival online.