BACKGROUND

The Weayaya Solar Powered Music Festival is a family friendly, community based event located on the banks of the Blindman River in Central Alberta.

Weayaya is the only solar powered music festival in Canada. Festival power is generated by a grid-tied solar array on site, and demonstrations of various applications of solar technology and information are presented.

All talent appearing at Weayaya must be Alberta based. There is an enormous amount available in this province, from fledgling to famous. Not genre-specific, the variety of acts ranges from harps to hip-hop, gypsy jazz to jukebox favourites.

The festival is held in early July each year, Saturday noon - 11 pm and Sunday noon - 6 pm. Free camping is available with purchase of weekend pass.

Beer Gardens open at 11 am Saturday & Sunday. Festival and artists' merchandise booth. more TBA...  

HISTORY

Belief in solar power as a viable option in fulfillment of current and future energy requirements led to the choice of a music festival as the means to demonstrate this. An event of this nature would demand a considerable amount of electricity to produce, and if successful, could attract an audience to witness, first-hand, the potential of the sun to generate clean energy.

The festival launched in 2013 as a "party in the yard". It was necessary to assess the capability of the solar array to provide the necessary power, and to engage community interest and support. The "stage" was a flat-bed truck, the sound system was rented, and friends and neighbours volunteered as workers and performers.

In 2015, Weayaya made the leap from "backyard" to "big time" with 15 mainstage acts and professional sound. A solar powered yard light was donated to demonstrate an off-grid application. The festival has presented an amazing array of talent since then, and the solar component now includes a mobile off-grid unit.

This event could not happen without:

Community support. Thanks to all who have devoted the better part of a decade to Weayaya, those toddlers are now teenagers!

Alberta musicians. Your enthusiasm and energy for this project, to say nothing of stellar talent, has put the "wind beneath our wings". We are so fortunate to have you on board.

PHILOSOPHY

The Weayaya Solar Powered Music Festival was established to promote solar technology as an alternative energy source.

Maintaining Alberta as a major energy producer requires a shift in focus on the sources of that energy. "Spreading the load" to decrease dependence on fossil fuels opens up new fields of R&D in business and industry, resulting in more employment opportunities. "We should spend every spare dollar on developing ourselves as a new energy province, so that when the time comes....we can be ready."* Weayaya exists to encourage the development of environment - first alternative energy sources, offering proof of viability.

The festival was also expressly designed to promote Alberta-based talent, providing an opportunity for newcomers and emerging acts to perform in a festival setting and expand their fan bases in Central Alberta while featuring established acts as headliners. We feel that there is no need to look beyond our borders to present high-quality entertainers in a wide spectrum of musical styles.

Music is an integral part of the concept of the festival. It possesses the ability to draw souls together; it inspires, uplifts, rejuvenates and gives us the courage to move forward, harnessing the power of music with the energy of the sun. As Pete Seeger said, "there is a lot of good music in this world, and if used right, it may help to save the planet".

*Corb Lund, "The Long Run"by Shannon Phillips, in "Alberta Views" October 2011