Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival

The Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival, also known as the Summerfolk Music Festival or simply Summerfolk, is an annual festival dedicated to folk music and crafts that takes place in the city of Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada on the third weekend of August. It draws performers and folk music fans from across Canada and abroad.

The Summerfolk Music Festival was founded in 1975 by brothers John and Tim Harrison with some assistance from the Grey-Bruce Arts Council. The first festival took place at Kelso Beach Park on Georgian Bay in downtown Owen Sound. It featured Canadian folk artists such as Ken & Chris Whiteley (The Original Sloth Band), Willie P. Bennett, Shirley Eikhard, and David Wiffen.

The first Summerfolk Festival was quite a modest affair. It was a one-day event with an audience sitting on garbage bags in the middle of a small sandy beach. The present-day Summerfolk is a four-day festival with several stages that presents exceptional performers. The festival is also noted for its arts & crafts fair where several dozen local artisans sell unique items. Kelso Beach Park looks nothing like the muddy plain it used to be; it is a well-kept area with a limestone amphitheater that has a capacity of 3,000.

Since its inception, Summerfolk has become one of the most famous folk festivalsfolk in North America. Its organizers interpret the term “folk music” broadly, and so the festival welcomes musicians from every continent and showcases traditional music from different counties, from China to Chile, and Mozambique to Mongolia.

Since 2007, the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival has hosted the Young Discoveries Showcase designed to discover, support and promote young talent. The contest is open to young musicians under the age of 21. There are two rounds of judged performances, and winners get a chance to perform at the festival. The preliminaries typically begin in March.

Many artists who have performed at the Summerfolk Festival at the beginning of their career have since moved on to commercial success. They include Natalie MacMaster, The Arrogant Worms, The Rankins, Valdy, and Leahy. A lot of renowned performers have graced the festival with their presence such as Stan Rogers, Bruce Cockburn, Moxy Früvous, Blue Rodeo, Rik Emmett, and Gowan.

The festival is produces by the volunteer-run Georgian Bay Folk Society. Along with Summerfolk, the Society manages other projects throughout the year, including the Music Biz Tune Up workshop series and the Youth Folk School.