The sounds of traditional acoustic and roots music will rule the town of Kingsville this weekend.
The annual Kingsville Folk Music Festival begins Friday night at Lakeside Park and continues through Sunday. This year, several national and international folk music acts are featured on the bill along with many local and regional performers.
Friday night's setlist includes six-time Juno Award-winning singer and songwriter Serena Ryder, a performer that co-producer John Law said in April was a major coup for the event. Six of her singles have cracked the top-40 on the Canadian pop chart with two songs, "Stompa" and "What I Wouldn't Do", placing in the top-10.
“It’s pretty neat to have somebody who started down at the bottom and went to the top, and we get to have her at our festival,” said Law. “She’s huge. She’s could’ve said no very easily, and she’s said no to many people.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Ielw2z7Ww
The Friday night lineup also includes on the main stage The Swinging Belles, a Newfoundland and Labrador-based swing band popular with families; folk fusion artist T.Nile, veteran bluegrass band Traditionally Wound and longtime folk artist Danny Michel.
Saturday focuses on world music with the day's schedule being capped on the main stage by the Juno Award-winning Kobo Town. The Toronto group incorporates poetry and activism in its calypso-flavoured sound. Other performers scheduled include guitar-based trio Tri-Continental, bilingual folk violinist Briga, acclaimed Latin guitarist Oscar Lopez, and the Gabriel Palatchi Band, a Caribbean jazz combo led by its Argentine-born namesake.
The Sunday schedule is headlined by the Milk Carton Kids, a traditional folk duo from California with two Grammy Award nominations under its belt. Main stage performers include The Gathering Sparks, backed by a choir, along with the vocal group The Pairs, roots musician Gurf Morlix, quintet Union Duke, and Vermont-based trio Low Lily.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEDnGAvjQXw
The main stage acts begin to take the stage at 6 p.m. each day of the festival, but daytime sessions begin each day at 11 a.m. Three smaller stages will feature the daytime sessions, which encompass a wide range of roots and acoustic music from a variety of different performers.
In addition to the music, there will also be a wine and craft beer area, food vendors and a children's area.
The festival is run by the Sun Parlour Folk Music Society and is the only one of its kind west of London. It will be a part of the Windsor-Essex summer schedule for years to come, thanks to a five-year sponsorship commitment from the town of Kingsville. The town is providing the festival with $20,000. Blackburn Radio is the official media sponsor for this year's folk festival.
Day passes for each day of the festival begin at $40 per person for those 17 and older, good for any one day of the event. Weekend passes are $95 a person and provide in-and-out privileges for the entire three days. Those 16 and under attend free.
For complete ticket information and a full listing of all the performers and amenities, visit the folk festival's official website.