On-stage proposal stuns Folk on the Rocks crowd

Just when Godson’s triumphant comeback looked to be Saturday’s big Folk on the Rocks highlight, along came a contender: an on-stage proposal.

Lightning had ripped through the air on Friday night. Saturday brought a different kind of electricity to the Yellowknife festival’s main stage.

“My heart is still beating a mile a minute,” Daylen Weber confessed to Cabin Radio moments after proposing to Jocelyn Kierstead.

Kierstead said yes – a fact relayed to hundreds of festivalgoers by the main stage announcer.

“I’m vibrating. That was a lot of people and that was the most romantic thing that’s ever happened in my life,” said Kierstead.

The two met on Tinder.

“We had very long texts and phone calls and we just hit it off. Our first date, fireworks were happening. It’s just been a whirlwind romance,” said Weber.

Even so, Kierstead had no idea Weber was about to make things quite so public.

“We’ve talked about what marriage would look like, and that we do love each other and we intend on getting married, but I had no idea it would be today that we would be engaged,” she said.

“I’m still trying to collect myself here.”

Weber had been planning to propose during an upcoming trip to Banff. Ultimately, he just couldn’t wait.

“I’ve been overthinking it lately,” he confessed.

“I was like, how can I do this? How can I pull this off? And as I was walking in here, I ran into the volunteer manager and asked him to pull the strings with the artist manager – and they got me on stage to do this.

“I was really excited to pop the question. It’s probably been on my mind for, I’d say, like, six months. I knew that she’s the one.”

Hip-hop artist Godson, a Yellowknife musical icon who triumphantly returned to Folk on the Rocks after recovering from a rare form of blood cancer, had only just wowed the crowd with an extraordinary set when Weber appeared.

“I heard Godson perform when I was in high school,” said Kierstead, “and so it’s, like, very nostalgic, and definitely very memorable.”

“I actually ran into Godson a few nights ago,” said Weber.

“I was out playing pool, and I knew he was performing, and then I confirmed today what time it was, and I kind-of wanted to time it for the end of his performance. And so it all just worked out beautifully, it worked out perfectly.”

“Daylen is the love of my life,” said Kierstead.

“This feels like a dream. I am so happy right now and yeah,” she added, turning to Weber, “I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs, Serra Hamilton and Jacksen Friske contributed reporting.