Feed Your Soul at the 2013 Folk Festival

Feed your soul and quiet your mind with the blissful beats of today’s best folk, roots, blues and pop-rock artists at the 2013 Ottawa Folk Festival. Presented by TELUS, this year’s folk festival will run from September 4 to 8 at Hog’s Back Park.

Festival organizers added an extra day of programming for the event to make room for Canadian rock sensation Neil Young. As one of the most idiosyncratic artists of his generation, Young will headline the festival’s 20th edition on September 4 with Crazy Horse, along with Patti Smith and her Band in the evening.

Other highly anticipated headliners for this year’s Ottawa Folk Festival are The Sheepdogs, Vampire Weekend, Hey Ocean!, The Wailers, Beth Orton and Little Stella. 

The 2013 lineup will be dynamic, featuring popular artists from various genres. Critically acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar will hit the stage September 6, and Shad will give the festival a hip-hop vibe. Also performing will be 12-time Grammy-winner Emmylou Harris.

An event to watch out for at the festival will be the Galaxie Rising Star Award, which is given to emerging Canadian artists who are recognized for their talent. Listed by the National Post as one of the top five Canadian acts to watch in 2012, The Claytones are a country-folk group that will receive this year’s award. The vocal-driven group is gaining popularity among indie-lovers and will perform on September 5.

Here is this year’s full lineup:

• September 5: Vampire Weekend, Colin Meloy, Little Stella, Shannon Rose and the Thorns, Shred Kelly, The Claytones, Three Little Birds

• September 6: Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, Kendrick Lamar, Amos the Transparent, Amanda Rheaume, Beth Orton, Matt Andersen, Robyn Hitchcock, Shad, Tall Trees, The Dusty Drifters

•  September 7: The Avett Brothers, The Sheepdogs, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Chris Hadfield, Hayden, Hey Ocean!, John Allaire, Leif Vollebekk, Martyn Joseph, Pacific Curls, Rachel Sermanni, Sheesham and Lotus, Sondre Lerche, The Belle Game, Tift Merritt, Trent Severn, Vance Joy, Wake Owl, Winchester Warm
• September 8: Carolina Chocolate Drops, Chris Smither, Claude Munson, Dave Norris and Local Ivan, David Lindley, Folly and the Hunter, Go Long (!), Jeff Lang, Kat Edmonson, Mac DeMarco, Martyn Joseph, Mo Kenney, Sam Amidon, Spirit Family Reunion, Terry Gillespie, The Wailers, World Party

To purchase an early-bird wristband at $128 for the full festival or a regular wristband at $148, go to Capitaltickets.ca or www.ottawafolk.com. Early-bird tickets are only available until June 14 or while quantities last.