Feature Article July 31, 2002
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Summer Music: a growing traditionby Jeff GreenAt one time there were few events to choose from for fans of live music in our corner of eastern Ontario. The Blue Skies Music Festival, which has been around for almost 30 years, and the Ompah Stomp, a Labour Day tradition that ended last year, were both going strong for many years, but there was little else.All that has changed. Festivals and concert series, as well as one time events, have began popping up in just about every community, and they have been drawing larger and larger audiences.
Here are a few of the eclectic events that have taken place just in the past few days. There was Victorian singing in Sharbot Lake on Wednesday with Janice Coles; Celtic pop in Cloyne on Friday night with the Searsons; the Stewart Park Festival in Perth had acts like The Good Brothers, folk hero David Francey, and Canadian Blues great Sue Foley performing all weekend; a street dance in Verona featured the up and coming country band Jeff Callery and Runaway Train on Saturday night; and singer/songwriter David Bradstreet joined the bluegrass playing Abrams family at John Thomson Hall in Snow Road on Sunday.
All of these events have sprung to life within the past few years, and some just this year. This coming weekend will be the occasion of the 29th Blue Skies Festival, and the Blueberry Jamboree in Northbrook will include gospel and country music concerts as part of the festivities. Next weekend the Verona Festival will feature evening concerts.