Folk Music in Toronto: A Guide

Looking for the best places to enjoy folk music in Toronto? Look no further than this guide, which covers some of the city’s most popular venues for this genre.

Introduction

Folk music in Toronto has a long and storied history, dating back to the early days of the city. Today, Toronto is home to a vibrant and active folk music scene, with a number of clubs, festivals, and concerts taking place throughout the year.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best places to enjoy folk music in Toronto. We’ll start with the Folk Music Ontario festival, which takes place every October and features hundreds of performers from across the province. Next, we’ll head to The Tranzac Club, one of Toronto’s most popular folk music venues, which hosts regular concerts and open jam sessions. We’ll also check out Hugh’s Room, another top concert venue that specializes in Folk and Roots music. Finally, we’ll visit The Junction Summer Solstice Festival, an annual event that celebrates the start of summer with a wide range of musical performances.

So whether you’re a lifelong fan of folk music or just looking to check out something new, there’s plenty to enjoy in Toronto. Read on to learn more about the city’s rich folk music scene!

Toronto’s music scene

Toronto’s music scene is vibrant and diverse, with something for everyone. If you’re a fan of folk music, you’ll be happy to know that there are plenty of venues where you can enjoy live music. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the best places to see folk music in Toronto.

The clubs

Folk music in Toronto is not hard to find if you know where to look. Many of the city’s music venues offer live folk music on a regular basis. Here are some of the clubs where you can enjoy folk music in Toronto:

The Cameron House is one of the most popular clubs for live music in Toronto. The club features a variety of genres including folk, rock, blues, and jazz. The Cameron House hosts live music seven nights a week, and there is no cover charge.

The Horseshoe Tavern is another well-known club for live music in Toronto. The Horseshoe Tavern has been hosting folk music since the 1950s. In recent years, the tavern has become one of the city’s most popular venues for live music. The Horseshoe Tavern offers live music seven nights a week, and there is a cover charge on weekends.

The Dakota Tavern is a smaller club that specializes in folk music. The Dakota Tavern hosts live folk music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There is no cover charge on weeknights, but there is a cover charge on weekends.

The Irish Times is a pub that features live folk music on Sundays. There is no cover charge for the Sunday sessions.

If you’re looking for live folk music in Toronto, these are some of the best places to start your search.

The festivals

Folk music lovers should definitely check out some of the great festivals Toronto has to offer. The Toronto Folk Festival is one of the most popular, and takes place every year in late September. This festival features a wide variety of folk artists from all over the world, and is a great opportunity to see some of your favorite performers in an intimate setting. Tickets sell out quickly, so be sure to get yours early!

If you’re looking for a more grassroots festival experience, the Parkdale Folk Festival might be more your style. This free festival takes place in early August and features local and up-and-coming folk artists. It’s a great way to support the Toronto music scene while enjoying some great tunes!

The music

Traditional music in Toronto is vibrant and alive. If you are interested in finding out more about folk music in Toronto, this guide is for you. We will cover where to find folk music in Toronto, what kind of music you can expect to find, and some of the best folk clubs in the city.

The artists

Folk music has been a part of Toronto’s cultural fabric for many years, and the city has produced some of Canada’s most celebrated folk artists. If you’re looking to enjoy some of the best folk music in Toronto, here are some of the artists you should check out.

The Good Lovelies are an all-female trio who got their start performing at open mics and farmers markets around the city. Since then, they’ve gone on to release three albums and tour extensively across Canada and the United States. Their sound is a blend of pop, country, and folk, with close harmonies that will stay with you long after the song is over.

Andrew Cassara is a singer-songwriter whose music has been described as “pocket folk.” His songs are filled with stories of love, loss, and hope, set against a backdrop of acoustic guitar and heart-wrenching vocals. Andrew has released two albums, “The Places We’ve Been” and “We All Need Horses,” and he continues to perform regularly in Toronto.

Harrison Kennedy is a blues singer with a career that spans over 50 years. He’s been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame and he has won multiple Juno Awards (the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards). Harrison’s powerful voice will take you on a journey through the ups and downs of life, with stories that will stay with you long after the last note has faded away.

The Duhks are an acclaimed folk band who mix traditional roots music with elements of worldbeat rhythms. Their sound is truly unique, and their live shows are high-energy affairs that will get your feet moving. The Duhks have released five albums since 2004, including their most recent release “Beyond The Blue.”

The genres

The most common genres of folk music in Toronto are Celtic, bluegrass, old-time, and world music. Celtic music is a broad category that includes Irish, Scottish, and Cape Breton music. Bluegrass is a type of American folk music that originated in the Appalachian Mountains. Old-time music is a genre that includes various types of folk music from the southern United States. World music is a broad category that includes various types of folk music from different cultures around the world.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! This is just a brief guide to some of the great folk music you can find in Toronto. Be sure to check out the scene for yourself and support the local musicians. With such a rich history, there’s something here for everyone to enjoy.

Looking for more? Check out our other guides:
– The Best Jazz Clubs in Toronto
– A Beginner’s Guide to Country Music