In response to a story out of Nelson on festival fatigue that appeared in the Daily Bulletin last week, the organizer of the Kimberley Medieval Festival, Michelle Forbes, says that while there may be some fatigue with longtime festival volunteers, for the new festival, it’s full steam ahead.
“Maybe it’s not festival fatigue, but that things are changing,” she said. “Some festivals have been around for a long time but it’s also important to introduce new festivals, so we can offer more to locals and tourists.”
Forbes says that JulyFest, while as successful as ever, is geared more to an adult crowd, which is why there was plenty of room on the festival calendar for a more family oriented festival like the Medieval Fest.
“It’s nice to have the diversity,” she said.
The Medieval Festival is scheduled for July 8 and 9 this summer and will again feature the Viking group, Sons of Fenrir and a few other Medieval groups.
“We want to expand a little,” Forbes said. “Just a little, we don’t want our volunteers getting festival fatigue. We are hoping to get a group of medieval knights to join us.”
She says that after the success of the inaugural festival last summer, vendors are contacting her, wanting to secure a booth.
“We will offer vendors opportunities to either be up at the field (Centennial Park) or in the Platzl,” Forbes said.
The Festival is free for everyone, though it does cost a bit to set up. There is a bit of seed money from donations last year. There has also been a Go Fund Me account set up under Kimberley Medieval Festival.
“We will be looking for a few sponsors to help us bring in a few more acts,” she said. “But the beauty of this festival is that it is all outdoors. The Vikings stay in their tents so there is no need to find accommodations. Everything else is in the field and the Platzl.”
Forbes says there is also a new medieval festival in Nakusp, so she is hoping festival goers will put both places into their summer plans.
“Medieval festivals are huge,” she said. “People will spend their summers touring them. And as far as I know, the Kimberley Medieval Festival is the only free one anywhere.”