Northwestern Ontario music festival presenters eager to welcome back audiences

Organizers of music festivals in northwestern Ontario say they can't wait to welcome back audiences after two years of cancellations due to COVID-19.

The Live from the Rock Folk Festival will mark its 20th anniversary at its event in Red Rock Aug. 5-7.

The Trout Forest Music Festival will hold its 25th event in Ear Falls Aug.12-14.

And the Moose n' Fiddle Music Festival will return to Caliper Lake Provincial Park in Nestor Falls Aug. 26 and 27.

"To actually have people gathering outdoors in front of a stagewith a big PA, with camping we're all looking forward to it because we've all missed it so much," said Jean-Paul De Roover, the artistic director of Live from the Rock.

The festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year with a line-up that includes old favourites such as Valdy and Rita Chiarelli; local heroes such as Rodney Brown and the Honest Heart Collective; and countless other old and new faces.

Those include northern Ontario Indigenous singer-songwriter Mimi O'Bonsawin, beloved children's entertainer Al Simmonsand Owen Sound-based vocalist Coco Love Alcorn.

Festival organizers told CBC they survived the two-year pause and the uncertainty facing this year's events thanks to a continuation of their government funding and flexibility from performers.

Live from the Rock held alternative programming over the past two yearssuch as live streams and limited-attendance events, De Roover said.

The Sleeping Giant Folk Music Society also held a mini-festival called Live at the Bedrock last year in honour of Live from the Rock and contributed some proceeds to the festival, he added.

Many artists bookedfor the Moose n' Fiddle Festival held onto deposits paid for 2020 performances and committed to honouring those bookings this year, said Denise Lysak, the cultural officer for the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nester Falls and the organizer ofthe festival.

In fact, she said, this year's festival will feature all but one of the artists that were originally scheduled to perform in 2020.

The line-up includes Mtis singer-songwriter Sierra Noble, Manitoba roots artist Little Miss Higgins and Toronto bluegrass outfit the Slocan Ramblers.

"I think what I'm looking forward to the most is that sense of excitement," she said of the festival's return.

"People are eager to gather, and we can't wait to bring a festival to them that they can enjoy."

This year's Moose n' Fiddle festival will also feature a special performance in honour of the refugees arriving in Canada from Ukraine.

A Ukrainian singer who recently arrived in Winnipeg will perform as part of the festival's Saturday morning Kitchen Party, an annual jam session that sees several of the band's performers joining together on classic songs.

"I'm really excited about how we will meet this moment here at a small festival in northwestern Ontarioand share a Canadian experience with newcomers to this country," Lysak said.

Trout Forest music producer Devin Latimer said he's excited to finally be welcoming ex-Prairie Oyster lead vocalist Russell DeCarle to the festival after trying to book him for several years.

His line-up also includes female vocal harmony trio the Good Lovelies, Indigenous singer-songwriter Fontine and award-winning Indigenous folk duo Burnstick.

Notwithstanding the continued presence of COVID-19, audiences seem keen to return to the festival, Latimer said.

"Ticket sales are at or above any other time at this time of year," he said. "All the hotels and motels in Ear Falls have been booked solid for months now. So I think it's looking really good."