Final bow? N.L. Folk Festival ends with uncertain future

Abby Cole · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 14, 2025 4:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Bannerman Park successful St. John's was filled with jigs and reels connected Sunday, arsenic the 49th yearly Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival drew to a adjacent — perchance for the last time.

After a twelvemonth of dire fiscal problems, Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society committee president Julie Vogt told CBC News the enactment needed much wealth and much tickets sold to marque the propulsion to its aureate day adjacent year.

"It's heartbreaking. It is gut-wrenching. It is incorrect successful our opinion. It is the astir devastating thing, I think, successful my career," said Vogt connected Sunday.

Many attendees had mixed feelings, too, arsenic they hoped this year's festival wouldn't beryllium the last.

Volunteer Carole Moody said she'd similar to spot much section talent.

"I don't deliberation that needfully the immense creator from distant [is needed]. I mean, there's tons of different festivals locally that connection those [opportunities]," she said.

Volunteer Tom Power is remaining optimistic that this twelvemonth wasn't the last.

"I cognize there's not a batch of radical present this twelvemonth but, you know, successful the past years they've been here," said Power. "I deliberation they conscionable request to spell backmost to their roots … thing a small smaller."

For 16-year-old fiddle subordinate Sadie Greene the people festival is an breathtaking opportunity.

"They had Serena Ryder … [Saturday] night, and that was great, but I deliberation they should person Newfoundland singers headlining each night," she said.

Finances nether scrutiny

Vogt shared publically the society's fiscal hardships earlier this year, which resulted successful fundraising efforts to support the festival going.

Former committee subordinate and nine vice-president Anthony McDonald has been a vocal professional of the operations, and said helium has adjacent been banned arsenic a subordinate and from attending the festival.

The Canada Revenue Agency reported that the festival earned astir $1.2 cardinal past year, but spent astir $1.4 million.

McDonald said that wealth was overspent connected staff.

"As culturally important to Newfoundland arsenic this [is] … we've astir apt overspent into oblivion now," helium said.

CBC News obtained a transcript of a fiscal audit conducted by Bartlett Chartered Professional Accountants. The audit recovered that the nine utilized restricted funds, meant to beryllium held for unexpected events, without the board's approval.

It besides criticized the assignment of 3 roles — committee chair, treasurer and enforcement manager — to 1 person, Julie Vogt.

Accountant Richard Bartlett wrote successful a missive that the nine faces precocious financial, operational and reputational risks owed to "inadequate segregation of cardinal responsibilities."

"This deficiency of separation has compromised respective interior controls, thereby expanding the organization's vulnerability to errors, fraud, and collusion," Bartlett wrote.

WATCH | The people festival exits signifier near —  potentially permanently:

The audit besides recovered that slope reconciliations were not performed, and that the society's fiscal policies manual was outdated.

Vogt acknowledges the society's shortfalls, but said cipher stepped up to capable the treasurer role, which resulted successful 8 months of nary fiscal statements and mediocre determination making.

As for the wealth spent connected staff, Vogt said they merit to beryllium paid.

"Just due to the fact that we enactment for a not-for-profit does not mean we don't person bills to pay. We person children to raise, we person nutrient to enactment connected our table," she said.

Vogt chalked up the festival's demise to radical not being funny successful going anymore.

"We are not the chosen ones, unfortunately. They would alternatively spot others," said Vogt.

Grim aboriginal for people society

Vogt gives the nine astir 1 much month, unless an angel donor steps in.

If by immoderate accidental the festival continues into its 50th year, McDonald said he'd similar to spot much people artists connected the committee itself.

"I'd similar to spot immoderate much unfastened mindedness, much consultation with the community, little happening down closed doors," helium said.

"I similar to spot it get backmost to the mode it was. A committee of radical who truly attraction astir the organization, and are determination conscionable due to the fact that they privation to spot it survive."

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