Peterborough Folk Festival Celebrates Milestone, Marking 35th Year of the Free Event

The Peterborough Folk Festival (PFF) hits a big milestone as they have launched the 35th edition of its free event, announced at Market Hall on Thursday afternoon.

Artist Missy Knott (left) and illustrator Brooklin Stormie Holbrough (right) help launch the Peterborough Folk Festival on its 35th anniversary. The latter created the design for this year’s Folk Festival. Photo by dAVID tUAN bUI.

The festival is set for Aug. 15-18 at the Nicholls Oval hillside.

“The dedication and commitment to this community that really keeps the festival going,” said Rob Davis, PFF Chair. “It's been through a lot of different people. It started in 1989 as just a half-day in Del Crary Park, moved up to Nicholls Oval in 1993 and started making use of that concrete bunker. It’s just grown and evolved every year.”

To celebrate the 35th year, illustrator Brooklie Stormie Holborough created a new design that launched the event. It was followed by a singing performance from the PFF’s Emerging Artist of the Year in 2009, Missy Knott.

PFF was able to obtain a major sponsor in Miskin Law for this year, a feat that had not been accomplished since 2017 according to Davis. This allows the Festival to attract more acts for the event.

The event is funded through grants, sponsorships and donations to keep it free. While the event has received enough money to cover all expenses, more sponsorships and donations are welcome to seek out more acts.

“Additional funds we raise, we try and give to our artistic director to hire a stronger performer lineup,” explained Davis. The more money we have, the stronger artists we can book.”

One aspect Davis touched on to help celebrate the 35th year is growing the Children’s Village to make kids a bigger focus for this year’s event.

“We've had an idea to introduce an instrument petting zoo for the kids so they can play some instruments and use them during the children's parade down the hill,” explained Davis. “Children and families have always been a big focus for the festival and we've always had children's performers on the Sunday. This year, we're doing it on the Saturday as well.”

PFF typically attracts more than 15,000 people each year, making it the second-largest cultural event in Peterborough.

Potential sponsors can email sponsor@peterboroughfolkfest.com and donations can be made online or at the event in person.

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'Metric' Announced As Peterborough Musicfest's First Act of 2024

The first act for the 37th-annual Peterborough Musicfest is bringing the musical stylings of Metric to town for July 17 at Del Crary Park, announced on Tuesday.

Metric has played Coachella, one of the world's largest and most famous music festivals.  Photo courtesy of Peterborough Musicfest.

The band last appeared in Peterborough in 2010 at the Memorial Centre. Lead singer Emily Haines' brother Tim Haines operates the local record store Blue Streak Records on George Street in Downtown Peterborough. 

While this is the first act announced for Musicfest, more dates and a lineup reveal are occurring in May.

Peterborough Musicfest's 37th season runs from June 29 to August 17 with free concerts every Wednesday and Saturday night.

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Juno-Award Winning Rock Band Billy Talent to Take Centre Stage At the Peterborough Memorial Centre On Aug. 6

The Peterborough Memorial Centre (PMC) stage is going to be rocked as multi-Juno award-winning band Billy Talent is hitting the stage for Aug. 6, announced on Tuesday morning.

Photo courtesy of the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

The Canadian punk quartet Billy Talent spent the latter part of the 1990s building a hard-won grassroots following before breaking out into mainstream success in 2003.

Their Juno Award-winning self-entitled debut album went quadruple-platinum,. As Subsequent albums such as Billy Talent II and III went multi-platinum and to the top of the Canadian Albums chart.

By the time of 2016's Afraid of Heights, the band had become a highly decorated rock act with an international fan base and years of hard touring to their credit. After a six-year gap, they returned with their sixth set, 2022's Crisis of Faith, which landed three consecutive number one songs at Canadian Rock Radio, leading to two Juno Nominations.

Bands Crown Lands and NOBRO are joining Billy Talent as opening acts. Crown Lands is a Juno Award winning rock duo from Oshawa as NOBRO is an all-female Canadian rock band from Quebec.

Tickets go on sale March 1 at 10 a.m. online, by phone at 705-743-3561 or in person at the PMC Box Office. Tickets are priced at $60.99, $80.99 and $90.99 (plus applicable fees). One dollar from each ticket sold will be donated to War Child Canada to help to provide aid to children and families in war and conflict areas.

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Hometown PTBO: Fiddle Player Irish Millie Playing Music With Her Father and Upcoming Tour Locations

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with fiddle player Irish Millie about starting music at a young age, playing alongside her father and future endeavours such as merchandising and upcoming tour destinations.

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Homelessness Benefit Concert Returns With 'Peterborough Performs IV' For United Way at Showplace On March 7

Sixteen acts are taking the stage at Showplace Performance Centre for United Way’s ‘Peterborough Performs IV: Musicians United to End Homelessness’ to fundraise for homelessness initiatives announced Thursday morning.

Musician Dan Hicks is one of 16 acts joining ‘Peterborough Performs IV."‘ Photo by David Tuan Bui.

The one-night event takes place on March 7 at Showplace (290 George St. N.) at 7 p.m. with tickets for $50.

The campaign is in its fourth year with the ultimate fundraising goal $1.45 million. The concert has raised over $84,000 to date, with 95 per cent of the proceeds going to local shelters according to Paul Rellinger, event organizer.

“We all feel homelessness is a big issue that we can't as individuals do anything about,” he said. “You can make a difference with this event.”

While the event averages over $28,000 annually in raised funds, Rellinger adds that no goal is set for this campaign's fourth edition.

“The first goal is to do better than the year before,” he said. “What I'm really excited about is the event is going to well pass $100,000 in money raised over four events and that's pretty good for something that was just an idea four years ago.”

Tiffany Arcari from ‘The Tiffany Show’ is the emcee for the event.

The following are the acts performing at this year’s concert:

• The Weber Brothers Band

• Emily Burgess

• SJ Riley

• The Austin Carson Band

• The Peterborough All-Star Band (featuring Rick and Gailie Young)

• The Cheryl Casselman Trio

• Irish Millie

• Tom Eastland

• Chris Collins

• Bread & Soul

• Phil Stephenson/Glen Cardus/Ron Kervin

• Jacques Graveline

• The Hippie Chicks

• Michaela Hetherington

• Dan Hick

• Tim Burnie (stand-up comedian)

An online auction with over 50 items runs until March 7 at 10 p.m. Local businesses, sponsors and organizations have donated all the lots for the auction.

Tickets to Peterborough Performs are available for purchase at the Showplace Box Office. The discount code ‘LoveLocal’ is available to purchase two tickets for $40 until next week Thursday.

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Three Days Grace Drummer Neil Sanderson Named Grand Marshall For 2024 St. Patrick's Day Parade

A true rockstar will lead the 21st Annual Peterborough St. Patrick's Day Parade on March 17 as Three Days Grace drummer Neil Sanderson has been named this year’s grand marshall, announced at The Venue on Thursday afternoon.

Neil Sanderson, Three Days Grace Drummer said he is roughly one-third Irish mixed with Scandanavian/Dutch heritages. Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Sanderson is best known for his work with Three Days Grace but has done work with Peterborough’s Thousand Foot Krutch and My Darkest Days. He has spent over two decades in the music industry, winning awards from Juno, Billboard Music and Loudwire Music with Three Days Grace.

The announcement was made by organizer Tim Burke who wanted to continue bringing in high-profile big names to the event after last year saw former sports anchor Dan O'Toole as the grand marshall.

“Dan was amazing last year and I couldn't ask for a better guy to do for us what he did for us in Peterborough,” he explained. “Neil came to mind. I talk to him occasionally and I asked him on Facebook. Within a day or less, he got back to me and it wasn't him saying, ‘Yeah, I'll do it,’ it was, ‘Thank you so much for asking me, I'd be honoured.’”

Sanderson confirmed the feeling Burke mentioned and was grateful for the opportunity, considering the worldwide success he and O’Toole have had in their respective careers.

“I've been lucky that from such a small town, we've been able to have the reach and audience that we've had on a global level. We look at that today and we feel blessed and we never take that for granted because it's amazing to see that world in that capacity” explained Sanderson. “I feel like I have a lot of big shoes to fill with over the years of great parade marshalls and I'm just going to do the best that I can.”

Sanderson’s mother would bring him to several parades when he was younger, such as the St. Patrick’s Day and Santa Claus parades, with several fond memories. During his adult years, he celebrated from dusk until dawn as he said with a chuckle but highlighted the upbeat and diverse music scene he would experience during St. Patrick’s Day.

“There's a lot of great live bands playing and that's what's really cool,” explained Sanderson. “I love live music and this city is rich with it; the music here is pretty eclectic.”

There are 77 entries in the parade so far but Burke says he is looking for more and sponsors.

“I can't believe how big it's growing,” said Burke. Last year, we had 87 so this year I'd like to hit maybe 100. It'd be pretty incredible to hit 100. I'm not sure if Peterborough parades have ever had 100 entries before so let's knock wood, luck of the Irish and all that stuff, let's do it.”

To register for the parade, visit the parade’s website and apply until March 1.

The parade is scheduled for 2 p.m., with the route beginning on George Street at City Hall and ending at the Peterborough Memorial Centre.

Prior to the event, a 5k run along George Street will occur to raise money for Right to Heal to help those with mental health and addictions.

To sign up for the run, contact Dave Dame of Runner’s Life at 876-8960. Donations can be given online at Right to Heal’s website.

A flag-raising will occur at City Hall on March 10 to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day.

For more information, contact Tim Burke at (705) 875-2542.

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Hometown PTBO: Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace With Band Updates and Filming a Commercial With His Son

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday talks with Neil Sanderson of Three Days Grace about the band's status, doing a commercial with his son and spending more time in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.

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'Harmony for Healing' Event Organizer Sends Cordial Invitation Letter to Neil Young and Daryl Hannah

Organizer Philip Jolicoeur has reached out in a cordial letter to famed Canadian musician Neil Young and his wife and actress Daryl Hannah to attend his ‘Harmony for Healing’ suicide prevention concert.

Jolicoeur’s letter that was posted to social media. Photo courtesy of Philip Jolicoeur.

Jolicoeur’s mother passed away from suicide in the summer of 2022. He says Young’s music was a ‘comfort’ to her and himself. Jolicouer got to see Young in concert for the first time when he was four.

The letter was posted to social media on Wednesday and had almost 200 shares on Facebook, tagging the renowned artist.

The show is set for Feb. 22 at Market Hall. Tickets are $40 (plus $4 for ticket office fees) and are available online.

The concert has a house band boasting a large handful of Peterborough’s best performing at the event. The Weber Brothers, Melissa Payne, Nicholas Campbell, Austin Carson, Carling Campbell, Beth Anne Pelow on Sax, Tony Silvestri, Lindsay Barr and the artistry of Jason Wilkins Art & Creative Inc. are showcased at the event.

The event’s fundraising goal is $10,000 annually over a five-year span to raise a total of $50,000. Proceeds go to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Assertive Outreach Suicide Prevention program.

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Hometown PTBO: Pete Dalliday and PTBOCanada Send Off the Holidays With the Weber Brothers

This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday This week on Hometown PTBO, Pete Dalliday and PTBOCanada want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays as we finish off the year with some music from The Weber Brothers.

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Canadian Artist Shawn Desman to Hit The Venue With Special Guest Sofia Camara On March 1

To help mark his 2024 Ontario and Quebec tour, JUNO Award-winning pop artist Shawn Desman is performing at The Venue on March 1, announced on Wednesday.

File Photo.

The multi-platinum artist has added rising pop artist Sofia Camara as a special guest for the tour.

2024 promises more new music and an expansion of live shows for Desman, according to a press release. 

Ticket availability can be found online on Desman’s website.

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