One of the city’s coolest winter festivals warmed-up stages in February. Hosted by the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Block Heater offered attendees three days worth of folk music concerts at venues across the city.
Olympic Plaza’s outdoor tent welcomed artists Le Vent du Nord and Cheikh Ibra Fam on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 17. Greeting guests on their way to the stage, True North Absurdities presented an interactive art sculpture called the ‘Trippity Twitchit’ — a nine-headed steel replication of a fire-breathing venus fly trap.
Performing first at the Olympic Plaza stage was Le Vent du Nord, a Juno award-winning band who credit their Québécois-inspired traditional folk style to their hometown Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Que.
Playing next, Senegal-native Cheikh Ibra Fam vibrated floorboards with a bass-heavy mixture of hip-hop, R&B and Afrobeat compositions.
During the performances, attendees were permitted to use Olympic Plaza’s ice-skating rink and to warm-up at nearby fireplaces scattered throughout the park. Local vendors, including The Dogfather – a hot dog and smokies food truck – were parked at the event’s entrance for the entirety of the evening.
