Festival of Small Halls Abrams and Ali McCormick play Ag Hall in McDonalds Corners on Friday

Jeff Green | Sep 27, 2017

The 2017 Ontario Festival of Small Halls has expanded to 30 locations throughout Eastern Ontario this year, bringing musicians from far and wide to the Ottawa Valley to play with local stars.
For example, fiddler Ashley MacIssac is sharing the stage this week with Tichborne’s own fiddle sensation Jessica Wedden. They are playing a sold out show in Seeley’s Bay but tickets were still available as of Tuesday for their show at the DACA Community Centre in beautiful Dacre on Saturday Night (September 30), which is only a 30 minute drive for our readers in Denbigh.

On Friday, the Abrams will be playing the Agricultural Hall in McDonalds Corners along with local singer-songwriter Ali McCormick. The Abrams, who now perform across North America, also have a local connection, getting their start as the Abrams Brothers at Thomson Hall in nearby Snow Road.
Concerts took place earlier locally at the ABC Hall in Bolingbroke with Sultans of String and Lost for Words, and at the Maberly Hall with the Outside Track, Change of Step and the Blue Skies Community Fiddle Orchestra.
The Festival was inspired by a similar festival that takes place each year on Prince Edward Island, and has grown in scope and popularity since its inaugural year in 2014, when it was held in just three locations. Among the new locations this year was the Tamwoth Legion, where Great Lake Swimmers and Soloman Woodland played a sold out show on September 17th.