Folk On The Rocks
Around Folk On The Rocks: Yellowknife, the capital of northern Canada, between territorial museum, Frame Lake, Old Town and Cameron Falls.
Long Lake is the scene — but Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, deserves to be looked into. Here are four real and verified places, from the territorial museum to Cameron Falls, to be combined with the festival.
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
The Museum of the Northwest Territories, at 4750 48th Street: Dene and Inuit Cultures, History of Bush Aviation and Diamond Mines, North Nature — The Entrance is Free. It is the visit that gives meaning to the territory where the festival is planting its scenes: you can understand where the artists from the North come from who are going on stage at Long Lake.
Somba K'e Civic Plaza and the Frame Lake Trail
The city square on the edge of Frame Lake, in the city centre, is home to the festival's opening evening on Friday, Warm the Rocks. The rest of the weekend, the trail that runs around Frame Lake is the Yellowknifer Promenade: Canadian Shield Rocks, Pines and City Views.
Old Town and the Northern Lights
The old town of Yellowknife, on its rocky peninsula: the bush pilot cabins, the bay floating houses and the pioneer spirit of the North. Summer is the setting of the midnight sun; winter, Yellowknife becomes one of the world's capital cities of the Northern Aurora — a great reason to come back long after the festival.
Cameron Falls
Approximately 45 minutes' drive through the Ingraham Trail, the Cameron Falls Trail leads to a waterfall that leaps between the rocks of the Canadian Shield: the classic tour of Yellowknife visitors, to be set on Monday after the festival, when the scenes are quiet.
Good to know
The Ingraham Trail is a gravel road: plan for full fuel and check the road conditions before leaving. For the northern lights, the great season runs from mid-August to mid-April — out of season at the festival, but a great reason to come back.