Riverfest Elora brings musical expertise to Bissell Park

ELORA – This little village was booming with the sound of music alongside the shore of the Grand River final weekend.

Individuals of all ages travelled from close to and much for the thirteenth Riverfest Elora from Aug. 18 to twenty.

With performers rotating between 4 levels within the pageant grounds, after which after-parties at numerous areas raging till early hours of the mornings, music saved flowing for 3 days. 

Peter Piper, a pillar within the Wellington County neighborhood, welcomed attendees every day with the sound of his bagpipes.  

Then Tania and Grace led a yoga class early within the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday, serving to folks limber up for some severe dancing.

Anna Paddock and the Lay Awakes wowed the group on the Grasslands Stage on Sunday. The band contains Patrick Anderson – the three-time Paralympic basketball champion who grew up in Fergus. 

Elora music trainer Adrian Jones introduced “his massive massive bag o’ukes” to the pageant, and taught ukulele classes to attendees of all ranges. 

College students from The Adrian Jones Music Faculty Rock Band Camp opened the pageant on Friday afternoon with a Rivercital within the Koop Tent. 

Youngsters, who can attend Riverfest without cost, additionally loved Camp Riverfest  and a puppetshow from the Paddling Puppeteers within the Boardwalk Tent.

Wellington County’s Boo Radley Venture is a staple at Riverfest Elora, as this was their sixth yr internet hosting karaoke on the pageant. The baroque-indie-funk septet performs a formidable vary of requested songs whereas festival-goers take a flip with the mic. 

Guelph’s Shebad had a crowd singing and dancing alongside on the Essential Stage and Jiggity James and Animal Boy, additionally from Guelph, performed within the Koop Tent. 

Waterloo Area musicians included the Reklaws and JJ Wilde.

Taking it in from the river 

Some folks loved the pageant from out on the water, sitting in canoes and singing alongside to the music. One paddler known as out that the river is really the most effective place to get pleasure from Riverfest Elora. 

Contained in the pageant grounds have been a spread of meals vans and different meals distributors, in addition to native craft distributors promoting clothes, jewellery, artwork, and different items. 

After which the after-parties

When the pageant gates closed late every night, many attendees walked a pair blocks over to Elora’s downtown, the place the music continued at Riverfest after-parties. 

After-party performers included Elora locals The Bearskins, who performed on the Elora Brewing Co. on Friday evening. 

The Shawn Connerys are additionally from Centre Wellington, and carried out on the Elora Legion on Saturday evening. 

Environmentalism

Riverfest Elora is organized with environmentalism in thoughts. 

Individuals have been inspired to bike, stroll, or carpool to the pageant, and shuttles introduced bus-loads of  attendees from Fergus, Guelph, and St. Jacobs. 

Disposable water bottles should not allowed at Riverfest, so folks crammed up reusable bottles on-site as a substitute. 

There have been volunteers from Wellington Water Watchers and Save Our Water sharing details about water advocacy work and the significance of defending water provides. 

Anishinaabe DJ Boogey the Beat carried out his music The Sage is on Hearth, highlighting the necessity for clear consuming water in Indigenous communities. 

Volunteers from Music Declares Emergency introduced a print display to make t-shirts with the phrases “No Music on a Lifeless Planet.” 

That’s the title of their marketing campaign calling for pressing environmental motion within the music business.

Addy-tude live performance in September

Different info tables on the pageant included Group Addy, elevating consciousness about sarcoma most cancers and funds for Sick Youngsters Hospital in honour of Addison Hill, an Elora native who died of sarcoma most cancers final yr, two days earlier than her 14th birthday. 

Addy’s dad and mom, Jessica and Dave Hill, have been each on the pageant, elevating cash and selling the upcoming Live performance with Addy-tude, a profit present offered in partnership with Riverfest that may happen on Sept. 23. 

For extra details about the upcoming live performance go to teamaddy.ca/addytude-concert.