Legion looks to younger generation

A lack of volunteer support may sink the Jasper Folk Festival in 2009. 

This is supposed to be the year of the festival, but due to a lack of volunteers, it’s possible it won’t happen. But Scott Crabbe, interim president and art director of the festival, isn’t giving up yet.

In the last week in Jasper, there have been more than five nights of live music, with local and visiting bands playing at various venues, which would suggest that Jasper has a thriving, dynamic live music scene which is ultimately driven by local desire for live music.

One event was hosted by the Jasper Heritage Folk Festival in order to maintain a “presence” in town and a general “awareness” of the festival, said Crabbe.

As it stands, whenever you see the festival’s stamp on a poster, it’s Crabbe working away to continue that ongoing awareness and presence.

A self-admitted folk festival lover, the Jasperite certainly got more than he bargained for when joining the executive board as the art director of the festival back in April 2007, the year the last festival was held. Since then he has seen the president and vice-president leave town, leaving Crabbe to man guard of the festival that dates back to the 1980s.

And he could use a little help. “The main factor in seeing that there would be a folk festival in 2009 would be getting about three or four more hardcore, dedicated individuals,” said Crabbe, who hopes to make an official announcement about this year’s festival by the end of March. 

“We don’t have enough people to help with all the organization that needs to take place prior to the festival,” he said. “As far as getting a group of dedicated individuals to help with the planning that has to take place, usually a good seven or eight months before the show, has been kind of tricky this time around.”

Dedicated to the festival, Crabbe said should volunteers fall short in 2009 he will do all he can to get the festival back up and running for 2010.

“I’m certainly not going to give up,” said Crabbe. “The odds of there being a festival in 2009 are very slim, however I’m more than confident that we’ll have a really solid crew of people together to organize a festival for 2010.”