Wapiti turns five this August. After all the years of folk stoke in the sun and rock’n’roll under the stars, Wapiti is still trucking on for more music in Fernie’s back yard.

No doubt about it, the first year the organizers were living on a prayer. None of the board members had any real experience running music festivals and went out on an ambitious limb and booked Fernie’s new music festival.

One fond and hilarious memory of that very first Friday night of Wapiti was the dirt cloud that kicked up from the magnitude of foot stomping. To which a dirt halo hung over Annex Park (such dirt cloud no longer prevails due to the efforts of some dedicated board members planting grass seeds over the years).

The next day Fernie and its visitors discovered the Fernie festival experience. Right from the gourmet food trucks to face paint to cold beers in the sun and of course the MUSIC! Shred Kelly took the stage at dusk and a festival had been born.

Focusing on up and coming Canadian indie music, Wapiti is keeping things fresh yet quaint and cozy tucked down in Annex Park. The lineup will be revealed in a joint party with The Northern Bar and Stage featuring Delhi 2 Dublin on March 13th. More details on the Wapiti website.

Wapiti launches it’s 2015 ticket sales Sunday March 1st 10am online or at Le Grand Fromage downtown Fernie. Weekend Passes are $79 including tax, but the first 2 tiers are on sale! Early Bird PreSale is $49 (incl. tax) in limited quantities. Advance Tickets are on sale for $59 (incl. tax) until June 15th. As always, kids 12 and under and seniors 65 and older are FREE.

The Wapiti Music Festival runs two days, Friday August 7th and Saturday the 8th. Plan to join the kickoff Thursday evening with a FREE outdoor concert downtown at The Arts Station. Expect to rock, expect to dance, expect the unexpected.