About

What is Coldsnap?

Simply put, it’s a nine night winter music festival, having just finished its second year, brought to you by the same hardworking volunteers who have presented the Prince George Folkfest for four summers. Each night has a different theme and features outstanding musicians. There are a variety of venues and something for every musical taste, from concerts, to workshops, to dances.

Who Are We?

• Jo Beattie, Artistic Director/Chair jocalico@telus.net
• Conway Fisher, Vice Chair
• Ann O’Shea, Treasurer
• Walter Matosevic, Secretary
• Dan Watt, Member at Large
• Eric Tompkins, Member at Large
• Diana Vanderzande, Volunteer Coordinator | dianavdz@telus.net
• Maria Walsh……..Audience Hospitality | riawalsh@telus.net
• Aislinn Wiley
• Anju Aggarwal
• Bryndis Ogmundson
• Devi Parsad
• Heather Smith
• Josephine Scott
• Kathryn Ens
• Marissa Leischner
• Natashia Neudorf
• Richard Scott
• Sam Milligan
• Shandra Murphy
• JoJo Beattie
• Elizabeth Eakin | Audience Services
• Alexie Stephens
• Annie Wilson
• Ann Daigle
• April Haubold
• Cleo Edgington
• Francine Laflamme
• Greg Crough
• Iain Acton
• Jenean Akehurst
• Jerry Daigle
• Jo-Ann Allison
• Karma Vance
• Kathleen Cunniffe
• Kathy Iselmoe
• Katie Tait
• Kelly Peden-Yule
• Margaret Johnston
• Marian Badey
• Maureen Fotos
• Morag Buchanan
• Murray Kutyn
• Nancy-Anne Rose
• Nani Browne
• Noelani Jung
• Rebecca Andrews
• Ron Thiel
• Sarah Sapergia
• Sheri-Lynne Bishop
• Sherri Reed
• Steve Switzman
• Tara Klassen
• Tara Raketti
• Wanda Dean
• Diana VanderZande
• Andrew Mulroy
• Bruce Eakin
• Chris Kelly
• Doug Heard
• Jenean Akehurst
• Jill Schick
• Joey Chidiac
• Karen Ochs
• Kathy Iselmoe
• Kyle Allman
• Mark Goudreau
• Maureen Fotos
• Mitch Davy
• Nancy-Anne Rose
• Rebecca Andrews
• Steve Switzman
• Tara Raketti
• Terry Basha
• Theresa Goudreau
• Wanda Dean
• Bob Steventon | Photography | bobstevent@uniserve.com
• Bob D’Auray
• Grant Stovel
• Joanna Smythe
• Kevin Gagel
• Maja Swannie
• Tangena Prest
• Tony Einfeldt
• Greg Beattie | Producer | beattieg@telus.net
• Daryl Beauregard | Co-Producer
• Bruce Northrup
• Chris Brown
• Chris Kelly
• Dan Watt
• Donncha O’Callaghan | Stage Manager
• Frank Badey
• Goji Leakey
• Jacob Borden
• Jeremy Courtial
• Kris Burkinshaw
• Benedict Beattie
• Kyle Davidson
• Lee Wai Yu
• Luke Harris
• Marian Badey
• Sarah Sapergia
• Walter Matosevic
• William Kuklis | Stage Manager
• Sue Judge | Drivers | smjudge@telus.net
• Elissa Meiklem
• Eric Mohlmann
• Kathy deGrace
• Peggy Tobin
• Maureen Beier | C.D. Sales
• Denise Rudolph
• Elizabeth Woods
• Keri Rudolph
• Kyla Macdonald
• Maria Weisgarber
• Jo Beattie, Publicity | Sponsorship | jocalico@telus.net
• Grant Potter | coldsnapfestival.com admin | gpotter@unbc.ca
• Andrew Kurjata | Communications | coldsnapfest@gmail.com
• Sue Hallum | Grant Writer
• Nani Browne | Signage
• Noelani Jung | Signage Assistant
• Conway Fisher | Tickets
• Posters
• Goji Leakey
• Diana VanderZande
• Sue Judge
• Nani Browne
• Noelani Jung
• Jo Beattie
• Tara Raketti
• Greg Beattie
• Eric Tompkins
• Shawn Smith
• Benedict Beattie
• Bruce Eakin

Miscellaneous Helpers

• Dr.Tom Young, PGFFS Medical Officer
• Colleen Sullivan
• Moses Kostamo, above and beyond the call

Why Coldsnap?

The reason for Coldsnap is to provide Prince George with a musical respite from the mid-winter blahs that seem to set in toward the end of January. Running usually the last week of January into February Coldsnap is something to look forward to, something to get a gang together for a night out, something to warm up the cold winter nights with fun, music, friendship and maybe even a little romance (though Coldsnap organizers take no responsibility for romantic entanglements that may or may not occur).

Who can I expect to hear?

Okay, so I’m going to be editorial here. There is music, and then there is the music business. The music business is about packaging and marketing what some executive or other deems what you should be listening to and, therefore, buying. Only a tiny fraction of musicians appeal to what Joni Mitchell called the star-making machinery behind the popular songs. The truth of the matter is that there is a vibrant and immensely rich and talented number of gifted musicians who live for making music and who invest their hearts and souls into producing muisc every bit as engaging, and often more engaging, than what is heard on the radio top 40. Jo Beattie and her merry band of alternative music lovers are very much in tune with the alternative music scene and have done a superb job of booking exemplars from virtually every genre. Coldsnap is a labour of love, but love don’t pay the bills, so it is vital that everyone with even a passing interest in live music do their part in sustaining what promises to become an annual event.

The Prince George Folkfest Society is a registered non profit, charitable organization having formed in September, 2003. After four highly wonderful summer festivals 2004-07 we decided, for many sane reasons, to make a calculated move to the winter. It was a bold initiative that has been a success for our City of Prince George. We have been a national festival for seven years now and look forward to more. We are a community driven festival staffed by loyal volunteers from all walks of life. As well as the annual festival we present concerts and other events throughout the year.