The seeds of a new winter music festival  are being planted this weekend, March 11-12 at the Slice.

 The Prairie Folk Tournament features  several local roots/ folk and country acts playing the Slice over two Days, Oh My Darling, Shaela Miller and Rob Ursel on March 11 followed by the Skilletlikkers, Tom Phillips and Andrew Neville  being backed by Treeline on March 12.

“It’s just a play on words on beer league bonspiels rather than a folk festival,” said organizer Taylor Ackerman adding the event is an informal  gathering of the local folk and roots community playing at one of their favourite venues with some of their friends from out of town  with whom they’ve played with.

“Ideally next year we want to  to be a multi-venue festival so it is something like SouthbySouthwest (Austin’s big March music  festival),” Ackerman continued adding he was inspired by  his dad Pat Ackerman’s  Roots and Blues Festival  which  took place at the El Rancho Hotel a couple years  back.

“I was sure if I talked to the other venues, they’d be gung ho about it but Jesse  and Tyler (Freed Slice owners) has always been friends to all our bands and had already arranged for Oh My Darling so we wanted the first one to be at the Slice. Treeline had played with Tom Phillips at Edfest in Calgary,” he continued adding things have come together well.

“It will definitely be an annual event,” Ackerman continued adding he plans to include more venues and workshops in future years.
Weekend passes are available at Blueprint Records and the Slice are $25 otherwise it is $15 per night. The shows will begin at 9 p.m. sharp.