Iconic Canadian Rock band Loverboy will be headlining the 2019 festival of Nations in Chatham-Kent at Tecumseh Park. (Photo by Michael Hugall)Iconic Canadian Rock band Loverboy will be headlining the 2019 festival of Nations in Chatham-Kent at Tecumseh Park. (Photo by Michael Hugall)
Chatham

Loverboy to headline first Festival of Nations in 20 years

Iconic Canadian Rock-band Loverboy will be turning it loose as the headliners for the Festival of Nations this summer.

It was announced the Canadian Music Hall of Famers will be performing at Tecumseh Park, this morning. Their hit single "Lovin' Every Minute of It," peaked at number nine on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1985. Other top songs include Turn Me Loose, Workin' For The Weekend, and The Kid Is Hot Tonight.

Mayor Darrin Canniff, left, Tracy Callaghan and Dava Robichaud announce Loverboy as the headlining act for the Festival of Nations in June. (Photo by Michael Hugall) Mayor Darrin Canniff, left, Tracy Callaghan and Dava Robichaud announce Loverboy as the headlining act for the Festival of Nations in June. (Photo by Michael Hugall)

This is the first Festival of Nations in nearly 20 years, said mayor Darrin Canniff. With Loverboy, it will be memorable.

"This is what we need more of," he said. "When you bring thousands of people together in the community, we want to do these types of events in Chatham-Kent every weekend."

Canniff stood in front of the Kiwanis Music Hall this morning with co-chairs Tracy Callaghan and Dava Robichaud. Behind them hung dozens of flags reflecting the diversity of the region. Callaghan said the goal for this instalment of the festival is to make sure it brings the community together.

"Everyone who is part of the community needs to belong," she said. "If we can bring all people from each group together and celebrate, that is the first step to that."

The festival is scheduled for June 29 – July 1, one week after Retrofest. It will include fireworks on Saturday night with Loverboy taking the stage Sunday night. A citizenship ceremony will also take place, along with multi-cultural and Indigenous performances.

"We will be exhausted by the end of it," said Robichaud. "But we will be lovin' every minute of it."

 

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