Imagine yourself in a dimly lit beehive kiln, surrounded by old brick that was stacked in 1913, with the sounds of acoustic guitars, lightly played pianos, strong cellos and a story-telling voice, all in unison, softly floating off the walls and landing into your ears. Once used to fire clay in the early 1900s, these Beehive Kilns are now a venue during Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival.

“There is soul and warmth in the walls that is incomparable to anywhere else.” - Rob Pape, Executive Director of Tongue on the Post.

Hosted every year at Medalta in the Historic Clay District in late January, Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival hosts local and Canadian musicians inside the monumental National Historic Site. Rob Pape, executive director of Tongue on the Post says the festival is integral in bringing people together to enjoy wholesome, live music.

“Over the last nine years, we’ve felt Medalta has been a natural home for Tongue on the Post. Both Medalta and the festival are rooted in Medicine Hat, and we’re happy to showcase this crown jewel in the city,” says Pape. “There is soul and warmth in the walls that is incomparable to anywhere else.”

Hundreds of people bundle up, and then unbundle to sit and listen to music in its simplest form. Being a winter festival, to have a longstanding event like this be presented inside such an impactful and important historic building, is a beautiful experience for people who attend. Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival celebrated its 17th year in 2023, and Pape and members of the folk club feel the support from the community to continue on.