Fun in the Sun: Summer Music Festivals in Canada

Canadians welcome, celebrate and appreciate summertime in a way that only residents of a country which receives six months of cold and snowy winters can. For many, one of the most anticipated and exciting aspects of summer, along with the long days and hot weather, are the many music festivals that take place in the country between June and September. Each summer, music-lovers from each province and territory come out by the thousands to take in one or more of the over 100 festivals that take place in every corner of the country from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island, and from isolated northern cities like Whitehorse in the Yukon to sprawling metropolitan giants like Montreal. Genres represented include dance, folk, rock, jazz, blues, country, reggae and everything in between, and each event gives fans the chance to see some of their favourite performers and discover artists they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to see. In addition, the festivals give up-and-coming Canadian talent the chance to work with and learn from internationally established artists. The majority of festivals are very family friendly and best of all they give winter-weary Canadians the chance to get outside, hear some great tunes and party in the hot summer sun.

Dancers Enjoy a Lightshow at Shambhala1

Shambhala Music Festival

Anyone looking for a laid-back, funky and fun summer festival needs to pack up their dance gear and head to the Salmo River Ranch south of Nelson, BC for Shambhala. 40 ha (100 acres) of the 200 ha (500 acre) working cattle ranch is set aside in the second weekend of August each year to create an event that is as at times mellow, at times frenetic and always friendly. DJs from across the globe arrive to spin tunes for thousands of festival goers who happily share their party space with the ranch's bovine inhabitants. The biggest acts produce an audio and visual extravaganza on the Main Stage on Friday and Saturday night, but the entire weekend features light shows and a variety of music. The festival features six stages, each with its own theme including a trance area in the forest, a chill-out lounge and a hip-hop stage with rhymes, beats and bass. While the festival's main attraction is the opportunity to dance away the hot days and cool nights, there are a number of other activities and events that take place over the weekend. Various competitions are held including an MC stand-off at the hip-hop stage, a best campsite contest and skateboard competitions at the festival's half pipe. In addition, there are hot air balloon rides, an art gallery, the Hoola Hoop Disco Marathon, an independent film festival and a fashion show where participants show off their most flamboyant and outrageous attire. The Salmo River winds across the ranch and it is not uncommon to see hundreds of visitors cooling off in the river while still grooving to the beats that echo across the site. The festival aims to celebrate diversity and creativity by allowing participants to be themselves and play, love, explore and most importantly, dance.

	Ariel View of the Main Festival Site at Merritt Mountain Music Festival2

Merritt Mountain Music Festival

Canada's largest outdoor country music festival is akin to a hoedown writ large. Each year in the middle of July nearly 150,000 fans from as far away as England and New Zealand descend on a 200 ha (500 acre) ranch southwest of Merritt,BC to camp, party and listen to some of country music's most promising rising starts and biggest established artists. Famous names that have graced the stages at Merritt Mountain Music Festival since its beginnings in 1992 include Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Paul Brandt, Jodee Messina, Brooks and Dunn, Dwight Yoakam, Kenny Rogers, Loretta Lynn, Wynonna Judd, Dixie Chicks, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Johnny Cash. The festival officially occurs over four days from Thursday to Sunday but for those who arrive early to set up camp, music performances start on the beer garden stage on Tuesday night. Two of the main areas on the site are the performance section which contains two beer gardens and three stages including the Main Stage where the big stars perform. There is also a large parcel of land set aside for camping. Fans bring tents, campers and recreational vehicles and make themselves at home during the course of the festival. The Cold Water River flows through the site and becomes a prime gathering locale for those who need to cool off from the hot BC interior sun by taking a float down the river. While music is the main draw (with continuous performances from noon to 2am every day), there are also a variety of activities to keep visitors entertained. Helicopter tours, a scavenger hunt, fireworks, a lumberjack show, song writing workshops and karaoke are just some of the extra fun events planned for the festival. Those who fancy themselves country music superstars in the making can make their mark at the BC Talent search. The winner of the competition is rewarded with the opportunity to play in front of thousands of fans at the festival.

Winnipeg Folk Music Festival

While a number of folk festivals take place during the summer months, the Winnipeg Folk Festival is one of the country's biggest and most popular. The festival began as a centennial celebration for the city of Winnipeg, MB in 1974. Offering free admission, the festival drew 22,000 visitors to Birds Hill Provincial Park, which has become the festival's permanent home. Recent years have seen attendance swell to over 55,000 music-fans who are treated to a weekend of folk, bluegrass, roots, alt-country, world and Celtic tunes performed by 300 international artists. Some of the popular Canadian musicianswho have appeared at the festival in recent years include Spirit of the West, Martha Wainwright, Be Good Tanyas, Sarah Harmer and Feist. The festival features seven stages in total and most of these are used during the daytime for artist workshops where musicians with varying styles and backgrounds join together to jam and combine their skills. These eclectic, exciting performances are often the most popular and memorable experiences of the weekend for the audience. Each evening some of the world's most important and respected musicians take to the Main Stage and thrill the crowd with exhilarating, rousing sets that get everyone up and dancing. Another evening option is the Firefly Palace which features a cafe and more music performances. The festival also offers an arts and crafts market, an onsite music store, food concessions featuring a variety of delicious international dishes and two licensed areas serving alcoholic beverages for adults, the Tamarack Tavern and the Margarita Bar. Perhaps one of the reasons folk festivals across the country are so popular is due to the fact that they are kid friendly and offer a weekend of fun that is appropriate for the entire family. The Winnipeg Folk Festival follows this trend by welcoming music-lovers of all ages and featuring a family area with entertainment and activities for children.

North by Northeast Music Festival

North by Northeast, or NXNE, is Canada's response to the South by Southwest (SXSE) festival in Austin, TX and differs from many other summer festivals in Canada as it doesn't take place outdoors or include a line-up of artists who are already established in their respective genres. Instead NXNE, which takes place in Toronto, ON over three days and nights at the beginning of June, presents new talent waiting to be discovered. Each year since 1994, the festival receives thousands of entries submitted by artists from across the world who hope to win a spot playing at one of the festival's approximately 400 showcases. Performances are attended not only by music-fans but also by music industry professionals looking to expose promising new artists. Every night, crowds that now reach approximately 60,000 fans throughout the weekend queue for the opportunity to squeeze into one of over 25 Toronto clubs and see emerging talent. After a show at one venue, visitors often race over to another club that is packed and heaving with audience members for the chance to see a potential future star perform there. Each year, honours such as the Rising Star Award and the Fan Choice Award are given out to some of the festival's brightest new talent. In addition to the club performances, the festival hosts an industry conference where those who attend can learn about the music business through activities that include round table discussions, demo listening sessions, master classes, guest speakers and the SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) Songs and Stories event. Recently, an independent film component has been added to the festival, giving the audience an opportunity to view screenings of music-related independent films in addition to watching live music performances.

	BB King Performs at the Montreal International Jazz Festival3

Montreal International Jazz Festival

The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (Montreal International Jazz Festival) has the distinction of being arguably the biggest, most popular music festival not only in Canada but in the world. The festival has seen massive growth since its somewhat humble beginnings in 1979 when approximately 12,000 fans attended. Today the city of Montreal comes alive as music takes over for 10 days during the end of June and the first week of July. The event has expanded to include over 2000 artists from nearly two dozen countries performing up to 500 shows over the course of the festivities. Up to three-quarters of the performances are free to the public and as many as 350 are held outdoors. The main festival site is located over four city blocks in downtown Montreal and is centred around the Place des Arts on Sainte-Catherine Street. There are also a number of indoor performances held at locations as varied as concert halls, museums and night clubs. Recent festivals have seen attendance swell to over 2,000,000 music-fans and over the years, millions more have come out to see past performers who have included such musical giants at Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Ella Fitzgerald. While jazz music is the focus of the event, a wide array of musical styles and genres are represented. The past few years have seen the festival host internationally renowned artists such as chanteuse Norah Jones, blues great BB King, blues-rocker Bonnie Raitt, and Canadian artists such as crooner Michael Buble, jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall, and hip-hop phenom K-OS. Visitors who come for the festival will also be impressed with all that the city has to offer including a number of historic sites, great shopping and a vibrant nightlife. However music is the main draw at this time of year and anyone looking for the ultimate festival experience needs to make their way to Montreal for one of the biggest musical block parties on Earth.

Crowds Gather in Downtown Montreal for an Evening of Music at the Montreal International Jazz Festival4

Folk on the Rocks Festival

After being inundated with ice, snow and freezing temperatures for a vast portion of the year, residents of Yellowknife, NWT are eager to dig out and throw a party in the midnight summer sun. Since 1980, the Folk on the Rocks Festival has united musicians from the Northwest Territories, across Canada and the rest of the world for a weekend of fun-filled musical and cultural performances. Officially a two day event, Folk on the Rocks begins by throwing a celebratory opening evening called Warm the Rocks on Friday night. Artists perform at pubs around downtown and festival-goers gear up for the rest of the weekend by venturing from one venue to the next to see and hear a variety of performances. Each year, approximately 25 artists arrive to give a concert and work with other performers in workshops that take place during the day. All genres such as punk, ska, traditional indigenous and fiddle music are accepted at the festival, and past artists have varied from children's performer Al Simmons to popular Canadian indie-rockers Sloan to Mongolian throat-singers Chirgilchin. The festivities take place at Long Lake on five stages that include the Main Stage, a Cultural Area, the Kids Stage and a Beer Garden section. With a craft market called Art on the Rocks and a food concession area where both international and traditional indigenous delicacies are served, Folk on the Rocks offers more than just music and is a great summertime event for the entire family.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF:

1. Martha Edwards; c/o WorldWeb.com; Dancers Enjoy a Lightshow at Shambhala; Nelson, BC, Canada
2. Dee Lippingwell; c/o Dee Lippingwell Photography; Ariel View of the Main Festival Site at Merritt Mountain Music Festival; Merritt, BC, Canada
3. Montreal International Jazz Festival; BB King Performs at the Montreal International Jazz Festival; Montreal, QC, Canada
4. Montreal International Jazz Festival; Crowds Gather in Downtown Montreal for an Evening of Music at the Montreal International Jazz Festival; Montreal, QC, Canada