Fans hear, see hope in Sawdust City Music Festival for 2019

Muskoka Ukulele Society members gave two entertaining performances Sunday afternoon.

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — There’s some hope the Sawdust City Music Festival will become a long-term success.

Hiccup the Clown gets some help singing during a kids show at Gull Lake Rotary Park.

After a weekend that wrapped up last night at the Barge, the first fest appears to have real legs.

There were a lot of hugs and high-fives at the Sawdust City Brewery wrap party with the Currie Brothers band Sunday night following the sizzling hot Barge concert finale.

Led off by the Lemon Bucket Orchestra — one of the liveliest of the weekend acts — the three-day shindig officially concluded with the O’Pears, the Press Gang Mutiny, Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar with a shout out to Janis Joplin.

The latter a refreshing change from a sometimes hopeless, series of earlier melancholic, navel-gazing solo performances where on first blush down in the dumps singers were too often at odds with the hot weather and optimism of the season.

Still, as a whole, organizer Miranda Mulholland upped the content and experience in Year 2.

Now, seemingly well on its way, the festival offers future hope.

While a ways from last year’s opening sellout, things started promisingly for 2018’s first concert starring Danny Michel and Royal Wood.

The front row in the cordoned-off VIP section was empty.

So, Mulholland, friends and sponsors may want to rethink that undue, offsetting offering.

But she and the festival can take hope in two of its smartest moves.

Moving outside and to going to Gull Lake Rotary Park (which is far superior to the cavernous, uncomfortable Muskoka Wharf soccer field).

Festivals, always weather-dependent in summer, can either do just OK indoors or fantastic outdoors. Who wants to be inside in summer?

Just over a half dozen vendor booths were a nice addition to the park, which can only be expanded next year.

It’s the difference between make and break.

And with spectacular weather like this past weekend, it can’t be beat. Witness Mariposa 20 minutes away.

And the hundreds swimming and picnicking in the park.

(OK this weekend may be an exception with 30+ temperatures. Next year may not be this hot.)

Adding a half-dozen or more vendor tents is promising.

Especially welcome was the festival’s own that offered free water — a nice giveback — as well as information and artists’ CDs.

But with a built-in audience of beachgoers eager to gather around the gazebo Sunday to hear free acts, it made the festival more organic and — well — festive.

Mr. Hiccup, the Lemon Bucket brigade and the local ukulele society particularly added greatly to the afternoon’s enjoyment.

So, Sunday’s night regularly-schedule Barge show, which was kind of pre-empted, didn’t pose a problem.

In fact it augmented the weekly tradition, with three more acts.

Saturday’s shows Grace & Speed down at the Wharf, along with the writer’s workshop at the United Church in the afternoon, and acts at the Oar restaurant, and the brewery all three night, made for busy and successful weekend.

And one that holds out hope of being repeated on a slightly larger scale in 2019.

Mulholland may not have a money-maker on her hands, but give her reputation for business acumen, she’s the woman who can do it.

So far, she’s started slow, which is smart.

Let’s see what she has up her sleeve next year.

Perhaps some more upbeat performances, might help, too.

The Sawdust City Music Festival should be worth looking forward to next summer’s growth.

The Lemon Bucket Orchestra provided a lot of Eastern European music in afternoon and evening performances.
Families and music fans of all types and stripes enjoyed the various musical offering in the Rotary gazebo.
Circles and dancing were another fun way to participate in the festival.
From french fries to Frisbees, it was a perfect day in Gull Lake Rotary Park.
A few more local groups, like the Muskoka Ukulele Society would benefit everyone.
Gravenhurst Against Poverty was the charitable cause for the festival.
It was hard not to sing along with the Muskoka Ukulele Society as they belted out song after song.
The info booth – with much appreciated free water – offered festival CDs and merchandise.
People were popping in with their coolers all day for some R&R.
Picknickers were spread out across the park listening to the acts in the afternoon and evening Sunday.
Sarah Hashem and Bradley Powell, of Music Canada, were accepting donated musical equipment for schools.
Who has more fun with four strings than the Muskoka Ukulele Society?

 

Vendors offer a lot under the shade of the stately pine trees with plenty of room to grow.
Great weather and a built-in audience of swimmers and picnickers are a natural for the new venue.