Alliston Herald

Today's Weather

Overcast and 7°C

>>more weather info

Orillia blues festival organizers are "trying to shoot big" when it comes to booking acts, says Joe Fecht.

Blues fest moves to waterfront

BY Frank Matys January 22, 2010 15:01

ORILLIA - The spring blues festival is on the move. The annual musical celebration will this year shift from the downtown core to the city’s picturesque waterfront, event chair Joe Fecht has confirmed. “That’s the plan,” Fecht said of the June 11 and 12 festival. “The waterfront is such a great asset to Orillia, it just made sense.” In recent years, the festival’s main stage was located in a downtown parking lot that will be unavailable due to a commercial development proposed for a portion of the site. Fecht acknowledged that the lot was less than ideal from an aesthetic standpoint and did little to appeal to potential festival- goers. Though attendance was up marginally in 2009, the event just managed to break even, he added. “Just by the skin of our teeth,” Fecht said. This year the stage will be erected at Couchiching Beach Park in the area of the ball diamond. “It is a nice open area,” he added. “It is a great setting.” Organizers are hoping the new location will serve to boost attendance, noting the event coincides with an annual boat show that typically draws scores of visitors and locals to the waterfront. “I think it will be an excellent tie-in,” Fecht added. High-caliber acts are planned for both evenings, though the roster has yet to be firmed up. “We are trying to shoot big (in terms of artists),” added Fecht. Though planning is in the early stages, Fecht said organizers are toying with the idea of allowing free admission to the Friday evening main stage concert, while charging for the Saturday evening show. Organizers decided against extending the festival into Sunday, citing a poor response in the past. “There just wasn’t the pick-up on the Sunday night,” Fecht added. The committee is applying for government grants to help cover programming and marketing costs. “We are trying to shoot big (in terms of artists),” added Fecht. Past acts have included the Downchild Blues Band, Jack de Keyzer, Fathead, and James Cotton.

More Orillia Today|News Articles

March Break fun
Parents seeking activities to occupy their young ones can choose from a range of uniquely-themed camps and workshops that run the gamut from “mind...

Library project clears hurdle
“We are going to end up with a beautiful 40,000 square foot library,” said Coun. Tim Lauer.

Staff/students ready to face off
With the Orillia Community Centre serving as the backdrop, the 51st-annual hockey game between ODCVI staff members and students is expected to draw...

'Friends for Life' host benefit
Proceeds from an April 10 benefit dance at ODAS Park will go to assist Ronda Beavis-Caouette and her two children, said Rene Jacobson.

Who needs tickets?
The winner of a March 25 raffle will have Chef David Hallman prepare a four-course meal for six to eight guests in their home.

Hockey team helps family
Some much-needed rest and recuperation were in order for the local man, who is not one to draw attention to himself or the multiple health battles he...

Some homeowners vulnerable: City
Though officials do not yet know how many properties are potentially affected, Orillia’s planning and development director said the figure would be...

City tests water quality
Samples taken from a recently drilled monitoring well at Lawrence Park will offer an early indicator of water quality as it travels through the ground...

Orillian helps launch Paralympic Games torch relay
ORILLIA – Rick Ball ‘so proud’ after lighting cauldron in Ottawa.

OPP Bound returns
Activities include firearms training, drills, physical training, and practical exercises.

SIMCOE.COM is an online publication serving the communities of Barrie, Alliston, Collingwood/Wasaga Beach, Wasaga, Stayner and Orillia in central Ontario, Canada. All rights reserved. Reproduction, modification, distribution, transmission or republication of any material from simcoe.com is strictly prohibited without prior written permission from Metroland Media Group Ltd.