Vancouver Folkfest: Up To 100 Cars Arbitrarily Towed Due To Poor Organization.

July 19- 20th,

Westside, Jericho Beach, 31st Annual Vancouver Folkfest,

The Vancouver Folkfest, an established 3 day weekend event that attracts many out of province visitors, and known to attract spectacular artists along with beautiful scenery of the ocean and mountain. sadly, had its reputation tarnished today. It was a beautiful almost 30 degree Celsius day, in an alcohol free atmosphere catering to families and those who came to spend their Saturday in a peaceful environment amongst artists who came to play from as far away as Morocco, and to see many other acts including Aimee Mann. It is estimated up to 100 cars encouraged to park on the lawns of the Jericho Hill Community Centre were towed due to poor signage and a lack of communication on the festival's part with City of Vancouver officials. The Olympics will be here in two years, and if City of Vancouver officials had their heads screwed on right they would have figured out that for every foreign internal or external customer (tourists attending the Folk Fest), each one of them will tell 15 people about their bad experience.

Several irate American tourists with whom I spoke with, were waiting to be shuttled to the Busters Towing yard under the Granville Street Bridge for over an hour; most of them had a wonderful day at the festivities only to be dumbfounded later finding out their vehicles had been towed, and no arrangements had been made to communicate with the Folk Festival organizers on behalf of the city that such a vast number of cars were to be towed, nor were any announcements made inside the festival to alert those parked there!

The festival volunteer told me that the Jericho Hill Community Centre was supposed to put large no parking signs on the grass sections adjacent to the parking lot, yet failed to do so. Instead some sporadic pathetic/ unclear signage that belongs around a new lawn had been placed too sparingly saying "Please Keep Off the Grass," not "No Parking on the Grass." Many films shoot in this area and use this lawn as a crew park on a regular basis.

The Folk Festival did a mediocre job trying to do what it could to accommodate its guests who spent 80 dollars per ticket, per day, plus food and festival expenses inside averaging, probably at well over 50 dollars per person, per day. The Festival seemed more interested in keeping its artists happy during the organization of the Artist After Party being held in the Jericho Hill Community Centre and not paying enough attention on its frustrated patrons who paid their admission fees, +.

The festival did pay for our cab rides to the towing yard, however have yet work out a deal with who had to pay for their towing expenses. At this point those towed incurred the 100 dollar release fee for their vehicles,  moreover, they did state one could apply to the Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society at http://thefestival.bc.ca/ . Judging from the way they handled this blunder I would be surprised if anyone sees any money back at all. Each a car also received a City of Vancouver traffic violation ticket along with their tow release fees.

On a lighter note, a good time was had by all, except for those who came back to no vehicle. If Van wants to shed it's "no fun" city reputation, it better stop doing things like this in the middle of the summer, at events that attract many foreigners who come specifically for a good time not a typical British Columbian rip off, that we all are so willing to take in strive, like our high gas prices.

LL.