THUNDER BAY – The Live from the Rock folk festival is gearing up for three days packed with musical performances and new activities like voyageur canoe trips and harbour tours.
Around two dozen musical acts will take to the festival stage over the course of three evenings next weekend, while sharing insight into their songwriting process and collaborating with fellow performers in daytime workshops.
The festival runs from Friday, Aug. 11 to Sunday, Aug. 13 and is held in Red Rock’s waterfront Pull-a-log Park, nestled between the cliffs of How Mountain and the shores of Lake Superior, about 90 kilometres east of Thunder Bay.
The festival returned from a pandemic hiatus to celebrate its 20th anniversary last year.
Moving into its third decade, acting artistic director Elly Tose said the festival is preserving the traditions that have endeared it to audiences and musicians alike as a humble but vibrant folk fest, while adding new sounds and experiences to keep things fresh.
Some of those new experiences will include voyageur canoe trips offered by Such a Nice Day Adventures and harbour tours courtesy of North Shore Charters, both offered free to festival-goers thanks to Parks Canada funding.
Other activities include morning yoga sessions and a children’s area with activities including programming by Parks Canada.
Music programming will kick off at 1 p.m. Friday and run through 4 p.m. Sunday.
Friday will feature Thunder Bay-based Cartwrights, Chuck Copenace of Winnipeg, who fuses contemporary interpretations of sweat-lodge melodies with jazz, dance, and electronica, and indie-folk fiddle-singer Aleksi Campagne of Montreal.
Saturday’s bill is topped by bluegrass barnstormers The Barrel Boys and King Cardiac, a Toronto-based outfit that blends genres including folk, indie rock, and soul.
Sunday’s lineup includes Winnipeg-based latin artist Onna Lou, bilingual art-folk duo Moonfruits of Ottawa, and more.
Tose also called the acoustic song circle, which takes place around a campfire by the shore of Lake Superior, a signature of the event.
“If you’ve been there, you know… some people spend more time at the campfire than they do at the actual festival,” she said. “It’s another great way to hear tons of fantastic music, often by local performers.”
The festival will feature six food vendors and a pub offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. For the second year, the pub will be located in a tent closer to the main stage, so attendees can enjoy a beverage while taking in the show.
Tose said the event attracts many attendees from the Thunder Bay and North Shore areas, others from across Northwestern Ontario, and some visitors from Manitoba, Southern Ontario, and Minnesota.
Tose said organizers are expecting around 1,500 people to attend, edging toward pre-pandemic highs of over 2,000.
The Live from the Rock festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
While health concerns associated with COVID-19 may have largely subsided, Tose said festivals across the country are still struggling to recover.
She said that comes as the public and artists alike grapple with rising costs, and some festivals face funding challenges.
“There are a number of festivals that have collapsed due to funding, and the interest from people in volunteering is also something I’d say that’s changed,” she said. “It’s harder, I think, for people to volunteer because they’re struggling to pay their bills.”
“Those are all coming together post-pandemic and it makes it a little harder, but we have a good crew and we’re hoping for the best.”
Advance tickets are available for purchase online, or in-person at Fireweed in Thunder Bay, Dampier's Offshore Variety in Red Rock, and Rexall Pharmacy in Nipigon.
Online ticket sales close at midnight on Wednesday, Aug. 9, while in-person sales close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday.
Tickets will be available at the festival’s main gate starting at noon on Thursday, when early birds can begin setting up, with payment by cash only. Some artisans and food vendors on site will accept cards, while others will be cash only.
