Ever since his appearance at our very first Festival in 1978, Pete Seagull has been our high-flying mascot and a globally-recognized icon of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Emblematic of the Festival’s beachside setting, Pete and his banjo have appeared with regularity over the years on our poster, promotional materials, and with the advent of the Internet Age, our website as well.

His name is, of course, a tribute to real-life folk music legend Pete Seeger, as is his choice of instrument (the banjo is Seeger’s signature, and his book “How to Play the Five-String Banjo” is considered a classic reference.)

As for how Pete plays the banjo with only his wings, well, it just shows that with a love of music and a little determination, anything is possible!