The Village Squire, 1981-06, Page 11Goderich festival is the only outdoor
music festival in Ontario operating a beer
tent.
Running under the auspices of the
Goderich Optimist Club and music chair-
man Randy Schmidt, the beer tent has
proven to be a successful part of festival
weekend activities.
"The only problem we had last year
was obtaining permission to use the
public park," said Schmidt.
The June 26 to 28 weekend event takes
place on the west side of Goderich in
Harbour Park. A small scenic area which
looks over Lake Huron and the Goderich
docks, Harbour Park is probably the most
inviting attraction of the festival.
Along with a centre stage for bluegrass
and folk acts, a second area will be
available for children's crafts and games.
Admission to the festival is $2 per day.
Like the intimate surroundings that
make the Goderich festival a successful
operation, Formosa, southwest of Walk-
erton, offers another in festival alterna-
tives.
Tucked away in the southern extremity
of Bruce County, Formosa was once
known for a non -unionized brewery which
spade its mark by quenching the thirsts of
thousands of beer lovers during an
Ontario beer strike in the late 1960s.
Today, the brewery is closed, but another
landmark has taken its place -the Pickin'
in the Pines bluegrass and folk festival.
Now in its fourth year, the Pines
festival operates five times throughout
the summer.
Unlike larger weekend festivals that
can sometimes overwhelm audiences, the
Pines operates on selected Sundays
featuring folk, bluegrass and country
music.
Located at the Palace Gardens, a
privately owned park off the main street
in Formosa, the festival began May 17
this year.
On June 14, the music will continue
with bluegrass from Ladies Choice,
Reverend Ken and the Lost Followers,
Pearl Creek and Mikey's Mud Salad.
Changing the pace slightly. Formosa
features children's music with an extra
stage added July 5. John Pattison, the
Bierdo Brothers. Richard Knechtel and
Walt Maynard are scheduled for the kids,
while bluegrass and country continue
with the Humber River Valley Boys,
Orland Express and Wheatland County.
The fine music of the violin or
"fiddle," depending upon which side of
the fence you play on, takes the spotlight
August 2. This year Formosa's "Fiddle
Fest" will include the expertise of
Graham and Eleanor Townsend, Fiddlin'
Ed Reinhart and the Lang Family - a
selection of steppers. pickers and fid-
dlers.
Festivities end September 6 at Para-
dise Park with more bluegrass from the
Dixie Flyers, Bruce County Grass. the
Bierdo Brothers and Dennis Le Page and
Station Road.
A Sunday spent at the Pickin' in the
Pines festival can be just about anything
you want it to be. It can be an afternoon of
baseball and frisbees, it can be splashing
in the waters of the park's artesian well,
or just sitting back and enjoying the
limestone cliffs and tall green pine trees
that provide the natural stage and
backdrop for festival performers. And
then, of course, there is the music.
Admission on any festival date is $5, with
children under 12 free.
North of Formosa, winding down
Highway 6 past small farms with wild
growths of pine and maple trees, roads
lead to yet another festival promoting the
ripe strains of banjo and guitar.
The festival is Owen Sound's Summer
Mel Stewart of "Linda's Kitchen"
Folk and the music strongly represents
the Celtic community that plays host.
Summer Folk began in 1976 as a
product of the Cultural Olympics (a
special funding branch of the Olympic
Lottery).
Because of the festival's success
during the first year, organizers worked
to continue the yearly event. Today, the
festival is run by the Georgian Bay Folk
Society and artistic director Ross Gib-
bons.
Musically, said Gibbons, the festival
has no underlying theme, but the music
does strongly represent surrounding
communities and their cultures.
And so it appears, when you walk
through the snow fence gates at Kelso
Beach Park on Georgian Bay, and witness
the activity inside.
Four main stages carry the festival
from start to finish, August 14 to 16.
Performers expected include John Allen
Cameron and his unique Maritime sound.
the repartee of civil service song writer
Nancy White, the old time southern
sound of guitarist Normae Blake with
Nancy Blake and Jame' Ri :n, the
precision strings of Walt M .h el, Tom
McCrush and Company who are : robably
best known as the official 1.a _ Placid
Olympic stringband, and i .ily the
eastern sound of Canadian :finger -
song writer Stan Rogers, to -ion only
a few.
Although the largest portion of acts are
from Canada and specifically the Owen
Sound area, Gibbons said some inter-
national singers and musicians have been
invited to perform.
Organized by the Owen Sound Public
Library, a children's area will include
puppetry, storytelling and the music of
Take Two.
A craft stage, a concept unique to
Summer Folk, will include a series of
craft demonstrations. One local mason
will contruct a large stone bar-b-que to be
left as a permanent addition to the park.
Among the selection of entertainers,
the Mulligan Dancers will perform trad-
itional folk dances and Whole Loaf
Theatre will be performing "street
theatre", a good spirited combination of
dance, song and comedy.
In keeping with the "natural" aspects
of the folk music and park atmosphere,
Summer Folk carries that theme into
food .
Whole foods, natural foods and a
small selection of fast foods will be
available.
"We do all of the food operations at the
festival, with a good deal of the foods
grown in our own festival gardens," said
Gibbons.
Attendance at Summer Folk has been
approximately 4,000 to 5,000 a day in the
past, so planning ahead can be important
for a smooth weekend. Weekend ticket
prices are S18 in advance or $21 at the
gate. Day prices are $6 in advance and $7
at the gate on Friday and $9 in advance
and $10 at the gate on Saturday and
Sunday.
This summer, look to Western Ontario
for some of the most unique entertain-
ment available in Canada. What better
way to spend a hot summer weekend than
enjoying the fresh air, warm sun and
animated sounds of both national and
international performers? 0
M
tet. f.
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1981 PG. 9