Every few weekends, there is an public event with music added, or a small one day music festival, such as the Sunshine Festival or Fresh Water Jam.
On the big Festival side, 3 day with thousands in attendance, we took in Mariposa and Hillside.
The Mariposa Festival up in Orillia (once again took our trailer up to camp at Wayne & Alice’s). It was Mariposa’s 50th anniversary and featured several Canadian classics such as Murray McLaughlin, Quartette, both Ian and Sylvia (they sang 4SWs together) and Gordon Lightfoot.
Oscar Brand ("Something to sing about, this land of ours") who is now 90 led an afternoon workshop to very warm response.
My personal highlight, new to me, but a returning favorite at Mariposa, was an American singer songwriter, Chris Smither. We bought two of his CDs and have been playing them a lot.
Once again we rode our bikes over to the perennially popular Hillside Festival, which is held right in our own Guelph Lake Park. It is a hugely popular event, always sold out, and features many younger singer songwriters of “today” such as Sarah Harmer, The Good Lovlies, Patrick Watson, and other college radio artists.
Where have all the old hippies gone? But I did see many young parents with their toddlers wearing one of the new festival accessories -- baby sized ear muffs (sound dappeners).
Then just last week, I wrapped up my music festival summer with a visit to the Austin (Texas) Stringband Festival. What a surprising delight! A charming little gathering, all acoustic instruments. And yes hippies, Texas style. Saturday night closed with the duo of Jeff Muldaur and Jim Kweskin. (Imagine: Susan hadn’t heard of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band!) It was great to see them sounding so good after all these years.
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