We finally made it. Roots North Music Festival weekend is upon us! I hope you have your tickets and are all set to enjoy a fantastic weekend of live music all over Orillia. At last count, there are over 40 musicians playing in over a dozen venues throughout the city.
Of course, mainstage is at St. Paul’s Centre, with a bar, makers market and Ronnie Douglas Band and Tommy Youngsteen playing Friday night. Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday night, come enjoy Kellie Loder, Meredith Moon, and Michael Kaeshammer on St. Paul’s very special Bosendorfer grand piano. You do need a ticket to go to these shows, and you can get that ticket here.
Throughout the weekend, actually starting Thursday night, everyone in town has access to most of the other acts, all through Orillia. For a full schedule of performers, you can go here. Lots of venues might be crowded, however, so you might want to see if you can make some reservations to make sure to get in.
It’s going to be a wonderful weekend of live music, so do make plans to get out there and enjoy.
This weekend is also the last weekend to enjoy Blithe Spirit, courtesy of Mariposa Arts Theatre, at the Orillia Opera House. This classic Noel Coward romp is getting lots of great reviews, so don’t miss your chance to enjoy this wonderful live theatre moment. Get your tickets through the Orillia Opera House box office here.
Next week, on April 25, come enjoy the next night in the popular Artists Life Stories at the Orillia Opera House, with April Verch.
“April Verch knew by the age of 10 she wanted a career in music. She began touring full time after college and led her own April Verch Band to 15 different countries and three continents over the span of 20 years," notes a media release.
"She was the first Canadian woman to win both the Canadian Grand Masters and Canadian Open Fiddling Championships. She’s released instructional fiddle and step-dance books and DVDS, along with 16 full length albums, and among other awards received two JUNO Award nominations. In 2010 she performed in the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.”
Sounds like a fascinating evening of music and conversation, so grab your ticket from the opera house box office today, here.
Coming up next weekend, don’t miss the Mariposa Folk Festival Showcase for Emerging Artists concert at St. Paul’s, April 30 from 1 to 6 p.m. This is your chance to see nine up and coming artists vying for a chance to play in the folk festival in July. Only three will be chosen. This is a free event, come and enjoy!
Monday May 1 at 7:30 p.m., don’t miss the Orillia Kiwanis Music Festival Encores concert, at the Orillia Opera House. Admission is free, although donations to the festival are cheerfully accepted. Come and enjoy some highlights from the recent three-week long festival, chosen by the adjudicators.
Highlights will include all ages and stages of musicians, from the tiniest tots to older adults, from solos to high school ensembles, so lots of variety here for everyone. See you there!
One last thing for you to mark on your calendars and bring out your wallets for. Orillia is lucky enough to have an incredible internationally touring show coming to the Orillia Opera House on May 10. It’s called Empty Space Empty Time and is a composition by Canadian cellist and composer, Raphael Weinroth-Browne.
The show has been touring internationally and features the composer playing the music on his cello with incredible dancers from the Ottawa Dance Directive company, choreographed by award-winning choreographer Yvonne Coutts.
This amazing evening is brought to Orillia by Arts Orillia, in cooperation with the Orillia Concert Association. Concert Association season ticket holders can attend this show for free, as a bonus show, while others can grab a ticket through the Orillia Opera house box office here.
This really will be an unforgettable night and I urge you to get your tickets early.
Hope you all have a wonderful week, and if you have arts news, send it to [email protected] by Tuesday at noon to be included.
