"The Folk Night Concert Series in Kitchener is a gem." - Mark Rust

This page contains information for performers, and for those contemplating performing at our series.
The Venue ♪  Accommodationss ♪  Show Day Schedule ♪  Live Stream ♪  Crew ♪  Testimonials

Folk Night at The Registry has been presenting the best of Canadian and international folk music since Eileen McGann launched our first show in October 2006. Our list of performers has included The Ennis Sisters, Peter Yarrow, Sylvia Tyson, Ron Hynes, Christine Lavin, Tom Chapin, Shari Ulrich, Archie Fisher, Lynn Miles, James Keelaghan, Genticorum, Dave Gunning, Dala, Lennie Gallant, Maria Dunn, Bill Staines, Valdy, Windborne, Penny Lang, Joe Crookston, Ian Tamblyn, and many, many more. We have also produced tribute shows to Harry Chapin and Stan Rogers. We team up with The Registry staff to present an annual Roots Weekend, with additional concerts and workshops.

The series is presented by The Old Chestnuts Song Circle lead by Jack Cole, which has been encouraging community singing since 1995. We are renowned as an avid listening audience as well as a "singing audience", and performers who can exploit a room full of singers have a delightful time. We often warm up the audience with a song or round. Members of the Song Circle make up the all-volunteer crew.

We pay expenses, including SOCAN fees, and a small honouarium to the technical team, after which proceeds of the concerts go to the performers, with a small percentage to the community owned Registry Theatre, as a donation to help fund the theatre's community programmes, such as dance, drama, and children's programming. Through the years, Folk Night has been the most consistently successful series at The Registry, and most Folk Night shows are sold out well in advance.

Folk Night Venue - The Registry Theatre

The theatre is located in a heritage Art Deco building, the former Land Registry Office, at 122 Frederick Street, near Weber St. in downtown Kitchener. There is a small parking area for performers and crew behind the theatre that is accessed by a driveway to the immediate left of the building. A back door off of this lot leads into the theatre, making it the best place to unload; the stage is then up a half flight of stairs, entering stage right. There is a large green room with a single washroom a half flight down; this space is shared with our live stream crew and equipment. The usual (smaller) green room is stage left.

The theatre has tiered seating in 10 rows of individually moveable chairs. Maximum capacity is about 160. The stage area is very large, making setup for multiple performers and multiple instruments very flexible. The merchandise table is set up in the lobby beside the theatre. The small green room has direct access to this lobby.

Acoustics in The Registry are excellent, as are the sight lines. These things, combined with the intimate size, provide the best audience experience in the Region.

The theatre's phone number is 519-745-6565, but there is not usually anyone answering that phone on concert days. Use the phone number for Jack provided with your contract/offer.

Folk Night Accommodations - Green Gables Guest House

Performers requiring accommodations will be staying at the Green Gables Guest House, .75 km from The Registry at 189 Queen St. N. in Kitchener. Your hosts, Len and Jennifer, are muscians themselves, have day jobs in music, and have built a studio space, primarily for ukulele lessons and sessions, above the triple garage. They also support and sponsor Folk Night. Guests have raved about their experience at Green Gables. You can read some of their comments in the Testimonials section, below.

The number of rooms held for you is specified in the contract/offer. Performers are requested to check in before coming to the Theatre, if possible. Please confirm your arrival time and any special requests with Green Gables by email (greengablesguesthouse@gmail.com) or phone (519-579-5539). Please realize that Green Gables is counting on the arrangements that we have made for you, and any changes will be impactful, and may not be able to be accommodated. Guest rooms are on the second floor of the House. Parking is at the rear of the building.

Folk Night "Day of Show" Schedule

The exact schedule will depend on the complexity of the setup, however here is an approximate timeline for our shows.

Folk Night Live Stream

The Folk Night team has been Live Streaming concerts since 2022, when we re-launched our series with a reduced theatre capacity. Our team purchased two Pan/Tilt/Zoom cameras to go with the three cameras, video console, and Internet systems already installed in the theatre. Our sound engineer developed a custom audio mix for the home audience that faithfully reproduces the live sound in the theatre, including the voices of our singing audience. Jan Vanderhorst, host of Just Us Folk, a 40+ year old radio and streaming programme, agreed to interview our performers for the Live Stream intermission. For streaming we selected the YouTube Live platform, which allows viewers to easily pause and resume the show, or even watch later. During the Live Stream they can also interact with each other and our host.

All of these measures have produced a live show that is second to none, and brings added bonuses beyond the in-person experience. Performers are welcome to share the Live Stream with anyone they designate, and a copy of the show is made available to the performer within a couple of weeks of the concert, for their personal use. Most importantly to us, the Live Stream has allowed many of our loyal audience members, who are unable to attend concerts in the post-Covid era, to remain a vital part of our community.

A benefit to the performers is, of course, the added revenue the online shows can bring. But more subtle is the option for people holding in-person tickets to switch over to the live stream, when they are unable to attend the concert. For any given show up to 15% of our audience switches their tickets to online. Thus patrons do not miss a show that they had been anticipating, and this guarantee gives them more confidence to purchase tickets in the first place. Plus we are able to re-sell their seats when we have a waiting list. This all creates additional income for the performers, satisfies our patrons, reduces empty seats, and eliminates bothersome ticket refunds in the busy days before a concert.

Our live shows have been watched across Canada and internationally. Performers have sent them back home to family, when on an extended tour. They have also used them to promote upcoming events, and as sources of video material for their own projects. Here are some examples of what our Live Streams look like.

Folk Night Crew and Contact

Our crew is made up of volunteers from The Old Chestnuts Song Circle, and many have been part of the team since the series began. To contact one of the crew for technical or other reasons, please email Jack at jhcole@mgl.ca .

Artistic Director, Marketing, Ticket Sales, MC: Jack
Stage and House Manager: Nancy
Sound: Robert, Dan, Carol
Live Stream: Brad, Robert
Lighting: Christa
Theatre Facilities: Nancy, Brad, Carol, Lawrence
Merchandise: Ellen, Irena, Carol
Door: Irena
Hospitality: Lori, Nancy
Live Stream Interview: Jan

Folk Night Testimonials

"The Folk Night Concert Series in Kitchener is a gem. The theatre itself is the perfect size for an intimate show, even with a full house. The audiences who come are appreciative and ready to join in at all times. Jack is a pleasure to work with, and his various technical crew work with an enthusiastic & upbeat manner from set up to load out. Performing there is a completely satisfying experience, I'm happy to return anytime they ask, and I highly recommend it as a great spot in anyone's career." "It was a wonderful time all the way around. You are the perfect host, it's a great theatre, your crew is terrific, I got a chance to play with Tom [Chapin] again, and the audience for our matinee was a pleasure. Happy to come back anytime." - Mark Rust

“The Registry Theatre is an impressive looking building from the outside, but that didn’t prepare us for what we found inside. It has a beautiful performance space with top quality sound and lighting that created an intimate atmosphere, making it easy for us to connect with the audience. To add to this, the volunteer team from Folk at the Registry went out of their way to make us welcome and comfortable.” - Winter Wilson

"Brother Sun loved playing at the Registry Theatre. It was the best of all worlds, an intimate setting, terrific sound, a very live and knowledgeable audience, and royal treatment all around. What great people to play for." - Greg Greenway, Brother Sun

“On to the amazing Folk Night at the Registry Theatre (what an amazing gang and theatre)” - Shari Ulrich

“A short note of thanks for all at Registry last evening. Everything was first rate. I really enjoyed working with all the volunteers from sound to sales. The (meal) was excellent thank you … I wrote a separate note of thanks to your partner for her hospitality and the beautiful cup. Folks seemed to be happy with live stream.” - Ian Tamblyn

“A wonderful experience, from start to finish. The crew and volunteers were welcoming and professional, and the sound was excellent. The livestream tech components blended seamlessly into the in-room set up, and the quality of the stream was top notch! We also appreciated the chance to be interviewed casually before the show, a clip that served as an exclusive offering to the online viewers during intermission. Felt very “behind the music”, which was fun. Lori Cole provided a healthy and delicious homemade dinner, served in her own stunning pottery pieces. Jack Cole kicked the evening off in the best way possible, leading the audience in a rousing three-part a cappella round. The audience was in high spirits when we walked onstage, which made the whole show feel intimate and among friends. Which we were!” - Dala

"The Green Gables Guest House offers unique accommodations for any traveller. This historic & beautiful building exudes peacefulness the minute you walk in the door. The rooms are comfortable with all modern amenities, while providing a feel for old world class. The folks who run it are wonderful hosts, and provide a tasty homemade breakfast you couldn't find anywhere else. I enjoyed my stay, and look forward to returning." - Mark Rust

“Jen and Len at the Green Gables guest house were a delight to meet. Their house is lovely, our room was spacious with a comfortable bed and the breakfast was top notch. We couldn’t have asked for more.” - Winter Wilson

“The Green Gables Bed and Breakfast was a wonderful place to stay. It was like stepping back in time to a manor of the 19th Century. The hosts were very welcoming , my room was fantastic and expansive. I felt that if I had a smoking jacket I could take up a residence there and write a book about my decadent lifestyle. Breakfast was wonderful. I would recommend this BnB to any travelling musician , this place is special.” - Ian Tamblyn

“Jennifer and Len were generous and welcoming hosts who made us feel at home and taken care of during our stay. From helping coordinate our arrival to making us waffles and pastries in the morning, they ensured that our stay was as comfortable as possible, in a really special home. We got to sit and relax after the concert in one of the living rooms, which was a great way to wind down together after a high energy show. Thanks!” - Windborne

The Live Stream Some viewer comments
“Congrats on another flawless performance last night at the Registry! You and your team did a great job again. The intermission interview, and the Canadian Tire song were wonderful extras for those of us at home, and much appreciated! Tom’s wonderful performance was brought so clearly to our homes by your sound and camera crew. It was a treat at the end to see both Tom and Mark perform together. Great job all around, thank you!”

"I loved the concert! You were right about your audience singing along! Loved the round to begin the show, and enjoyed your song during intermission! What a very smart idea to record an interview to play during the intermission. I have never seen another venue do that, and viewers often tune out when they're not sure if Tom will return to the stage. I also enjoyed your little animations!"

“We were really impressed by the quality of the livestream. We felt we were right there. And seeing Mark Rust join Tom Chapin and hearing the crowd was a treat.”

“We LOVED it. Paul really loved the singing at the beginning. He’d never seen anything like that. Tom was awesome.”

"Windborne live stream was excellent. Just finished watching and listening. Sooo good."

"The live stream is indeed an invaluable service for inclusivity."

"Thanks for making this initiative possible with such high quality. We are so thrilled to have the opportunity to livestream the Folk Night concerts!!!"

"I noticed an amazing number of different camera angles! Because we have attended so many concerts at the Registry, we feel like we are part of the audience."

"We are so grateful to be able to see these great performances!"

"We streamed the Crookston show and were delighted with the presentation and camera work. We could not have asked for more."

"Brad is doing a great job with camera and video streaming."

"I could hear ... the audience sing-along this time, and appreciated the efforts of the sound and camera operators to keep up with Joe's movements on and off stage."

"You won't want to hear this, but we preferred the live-stream concert last night to being there in person. Oh no! I did miss the mingling and socializing and looking at the merch (not to mention the door prizes), but the technical quality was excellent. I do not know how you and your gang pulled this off!"

"The concert was great! Clear, glitch-free video and strong, balanced audio. What a treat to hear David Woodhead’s complex bass fills against Keelaghan’s unmistakeable guitar and voice. Goosebumps! Thanks for making it happen and for making it accessible to those of us that aren’t ready for crowds again yet."

"I want to send my sincerest thanks to the team for putting together such a great livestream. I brought it up on my biggest TV and sat in my comfiest chair, and other than being able to chat with everyone and buy CDs, I hardly missed being in the theatre at all. The sound was great and the cameras were set up well, so I had a great view. There were also no hiccups in the connection."

"Outstanding job, crew! The quality of the stream was very good. Also, the openers/closing visuals make the livestream really cool. Good marketing. Watching tonight from home made me feel like I was right there. Thank you guys for this, it means a lot."

"Jack the stream was perfect! I was really looking forward to seeing James live, but seeing how the weather has performed, we made the right decision to stay home."

"What a wonderful experience to see the livestream tonight Jack! Please tell Brad and Robert what a great job they did with the cameras... and great sound too. It far far exceeded our expectations. Thanks again to you and also to James Keelaghan for allowing this possibility... we would have just had to miss it entirely otherwise, and we felt like we were almost there tonight."

"Yowsa, a very special evening!"