Cancelled Kingsville Folk Festival Becomes Free Celebration of Music

The Kingsville Music Society is excited to present a free, all-ages outdoor concert experience August 14, 2021 — the former festival weekend — at the Carnegie Arts and Visitor Centre, 28 Division Street South, Kingsville, Ont.

Gates open at 5 p.m. There is limited seating due to COVID-19, so attendees are encouraged to arrive early to secure a spot on the grounds and bring their own seating.

The stage will be home to three acts which will run from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“We have Max Marshall who is from the area. He’s a great singer, songwriter and guitar player,” said Michele Law, concert organizer and co-founder of the Kingsville Music Society. “We have Tom Wilson, formerly of the band Junkhouse. And we have Whitehorse, a husband-wife duo from Hamilton.”

Changing the way live music is delivered

This is the second year the Kingsville Music Society made the difficult decision to cancel their annual three-day Folk Music Festival, but Law explains the period without live music was the push they needed to pivot and rethink the way they presented music.

Formerly known as the Sun Parlour Folk Music Society, they have rebranded their name to the Kingsville Music Society, which best reflects the diversity of musical styles they represent.

“In ways it has been hard to not present music,” said Law. “But it’s also been a great opportunity for the board to put our heads together and be excited about the future and what opportunities we can provide.”

A large festival format was not going to be possible this year, so they started to look for new ways to support local musicians.

Photo courtesy of Laurie Beaten

Dropping the big festival for free, weekly concerts

“People are aware that the arts and culture sector is the second hardest hit sector from the pandemic, after hospitality,” said Law. “So we really wanted to try to put money back in the pockets of our local area musicians.”

Law said teaming up with the Town of Kingsville was a great opportunity to do exactly that, allowing them to bring a new roster of local musicians to the stage at Kingsville Open Streets every weekend.

“Whitehorse and Tom Wilson were both booked for the 2020 festival, and pencilled in again for this year’s festival. So we had them on hold,” said Law. She is excited to have them performing August 14 and to also provide it as a free concert.

While the Kingsville Music Society eagerly awaits the return of their three-day music festival, Law says the smaller concerts have received an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. They hope to continue delivering the free concert series to Kingsville Open Streets in the future.

“It’s awesome. People are out dancing. Kids are having fun. It’s all ages and it’s free.”

Photo courtesy of Laurie Beaten

The Kingsville Music Society partnered with the Town of Kingsville to provide free concerts every weekend at Kingsville Open Streets, as an effort to put money back in the pockets of local area musicians who were hit hard by the pandemic.

Kay Howl performing on the stage at Kingsville Open Streets on July 31, 2021. (Photo of Kay courtesy of Laurie Beaten)

Tom Wilson is is a three-time Juno award winner, and a veteran of the Canadian music scene with years of experience in several different genres of music. His first performing group The Florida Razors was a popular band in Hamilton, producing Beat Music his first fulllength album. In 1989 Wilson became the founder of the aforementioned Junkhouse. (Photo of Tom from )

Originally from Essex County, Canada’s southernmost point, fingerstyle guitarist Max Marshall has a passion for crafting songs out of stories from the vast palate of the Canadian folk Identity. With country blues and ragtime influences, he delivers a heartfelt, personal performance that extends from soft introspection to frenzied bluesy interpretations featuring a largely underexposed style of acoustic guitar. (Photo of Max courtesy of Travis Latam)

Since their debut in 2011, Whitehorse has evolved from magnetic folk duo to full-blown rock band. In truth, Whitehorse is never fully either one or the other, but an ever-evolving partnership that challenges both artists to explore new instrumental and lyrical terrain with each project. Whitehorse has won a Juno award. And together, Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland’s searing Americana noir sensibility is distinguished by guitar wizardry (and instantly recognizable tone) and magnetic harmonies. (Photo of Whitehorse courtesy of Arcanite Studios)