Stanfest Growing to Seven Days of Concerts
(Canso, NS) – In its 27th season, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival (Stanfest) is announcing a major expansion move. Eight additional concerts will be staged in six communities in Guysborough County as part of the new series called the Stanfest Roadshow. The concerts will commence on Monday, July 22 and lead into the annual summer festival in Canso, Nova Scotia, Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28.
“Change is good. There are various ways to grow. With the addition of the Stanfest Roadshow, we are taking the shows to the people,” shares Troy Greencorn, festival Executive Director,
“We are also giving our passionate and loyal audience an opportunity and reason to come earlier and stay longer. On top of that, we are creating a lot more employment for artists. This is an innovation opportunity that was hidden in plain sight. We are excited and community response has been over the top.”
The first edition of the Stanfest Roadshow presents:
Monday, July 22
Opening Gala: Lucy MacNeil and Rankin and the Broken Reeds
Mile MacDonald Performance Centre, Guysborough
Monday, July 22
Troubadours: Rachel Davis and Darren McMullen
Seawind Landing, Charlos Cove
Tuesday, July 23
I Wish I Was in Sherbrooke Now: Max MacDonald and Dave Gunning
Sherbrooke Village, Sherbrooke
Tuesday, July 23
Troubadours: Joe H Henry
Seawind Landing, Charlos Cove
Tuesday, July 23
Irishtowners: Morgan Toney, George Hart, Kevin O’Handley, Brian Bouchie, and Gertie Grant
AJ’s Pub, Canso
Wednesday, July 24
Down Home We Sing it From the Heart: Carl Bond, Shiretown, Steve MacIntyre, and Dave Gunning
St. Agnes Parish Hall, Little Dover
Wednesday, July 24
Kitchen Party: The Once
Jost Building, Guysborough Waterfront
Wednesday, July 24
La Grand Démarrage: Mary Beth Carte, Mimi O’Bonsawin and Les Royal Pickles
Communities Along the Bay Multi-Use Facility, Larry’s River
Shows are individually priced, and tickets are available now at: stanfest.com/tickets
“The true heart of Stanfest has always been the intimate concerts that happen on the daytime stages. In this new hybrid model, we are growing the number of stages onsite and adding eight more shows in community venues that range from 50-300 seats,” says Stanfest’s new Artistic Director, Steve MacIntyre. “There are many site-based festivals and many distributed festivals, but few that are both. Our community venue hosts are excited and working closely with us to ensure each concert is a unique experience.”
“When our organization formed in 1996, the vision was to be active across the county. Truth is, staging an event of this scale in a remote, rural region is harder than it looks. It has literally taken us over 25 years to feel ready to broaden the vision. Long-term success requires growth. Being rural requires this growth to be achieved by having existing audiences attend more events and stay longer. Climate change is also providing alarming indicators that indoor, fixed-roof venues are a more practical model for event growth. Regardless of the forces at play, this is the right move at the right time. All levels of government are working with us, ensuring the Stanfest legacy thrives into a 4th decade, adds Greencorn.
The presenting partner for the Stanfest Roadshow is the Municipality of the District of Guysborough. We also want to acknowledge and than are development partner, the Guysborough District Business Partnership.