P.E.I.'s Cloggeroo folk festival back after last year's cancellation

Prince Edward Island'sCloggeroo folk music festival is back after getting cancelled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 festival will run from Aug. 12 to 15. There will be several COVID-19 protection measures in place such as mandatory masks, frequent cleaning and social distancing between groups.

"We know that everyone wants to hear some great live music, but they also want to know that they're in a safe and clean place," said Allison Cooke, one of the festival's organizers, in a news release.

"And we've worked really hard to create that in a fun festival atmosphere."

Attendees will still be able to camp as usual at the festival's private campground in Georgetown. The festival will also offer a bus service this year between Georgetown, Charlottetown and Montague to accommodate people who don't want to camp, said Kathleen Flanagan, founder and chair of Cloggeroo, in an interview with Mainstreet P.E.I.'s Matt Rainnie.

For the first time there will be an all blues lineup at the festival for its Thursday night shows.

There are some very specific guidelines, you know, in terms of how far the audience must be from the stage. Kathleen Flanagan

The blues night will feature off-Island musicians Steve Marriner, Paul Reddick, Theresa Malenfant & The Instigators and Shirley Jackson & Her Good Rockin' Daddys.

Other festival performers include Stephen Lewis & The Big Band of Fun, P.E.I.'s Andrew Waite & The Firm, Haunted Hearts and fiddler Morgan Toney from Wagmatcook First Nation in Nova Scotia.

There will also be a special event on Saturday that the festival calls the Cloggeroo Craft Brew Picnic,where attendees will listen to live music while enjoying craft beers, ciders and food.

COVID-19 changes

The festival organizers were not initially sure if they would be able to hold Cloggeroo this year, said Flanagan.

"How do you sell tickets when people have to be socially distanced?" Flanagan said.

Flanagan and the other festival organizers watched how other venues handled large events and then decided they would sell tickets in groups.

"There are some very specific guidelines, you know, in terms of how far the audience must be from the stage and, you know, how to keep cohorts separate," said Flanagan.

Flanagan said there will be some changes to events to make sure the festival which is partly funded by the provincial government follows health guidelines.

"We've done a lot of measuring," said Flanagan. "Looking at, you know, 'How far is six feet from this spot?' and 'What can we have there?'"

The festival'slarge tent will have a maximum capacity of 200 people.

Flanagansaid the setup inside the tent will be different from years before. Attendees will have to stay with their small groups and keep six feet away from other groups in the tent.

Tickets for shows, camping and bus rides will go on sale on June 23 through the festival's website.

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