Wildfire smoke is becoming a bigger concern for outdoor events, and the Calgary Folk Music Festival is trying a new way to keep people safe. The festival is working with Alberta Capital Airshed to test new wildfire smoke guidelines this weekend. Organizers hope the recommendations will help them respond more quickly if air quality changes. “We’re starting to hear from a lot of people that it’s a very helpful start,” said Gary Redmond, executive director of Alberta Capital Airshed. “We’re actually hoping to build it, too, with some sort of great best practices as we go forward.” The festival is also using PurpleAir sensors around the grounds to track air quality. The minute-to-minute readings are online for organizers and the public to see. Festival executive director Sara Leishman said the event will use the weekend to see how well the new guidelines work. “We’re going to be testing it to some extent this weekend to make sure these theoretical principles are actually working and helping us make these decisions,” she said. Cooling stations will also be set up around the festival to help people deal with the heat. Local singer Kate Stevens is performing at the festival for the sixth time. She said she’s played through rain, heat, and smoke before, and is ready for whatever the weekend brings. “This is my Coachella. This is my Super Bowl. This is what I look forward to every single year,” she said. “So smoke, rain, heat, mosquitoes, we’re here no matter what.”
