Ottawa Grassroots Festival – April 27-28

The Ottawa Grassroots Festival, a small volunteer-run, family-oriented springtime folk festival spearheaded by Bob Nesbitt, will return Saturday-Sunday April 27-28 for its second year. This year it’s taking place at the Rideau Curling Club, 715 Cooper Street in Ottawa. 

The daytime events, centred on workshops, kid-friendly concerts and a contra dance, are free of charge. Tickets for the Saturday night concert are $25. The Sunday night tickets are $15 and passes for both nights are $35.

Among the artists participating in the daytime activities on Saturday will be Missy Burgess, Ana Miura, Amanda Rheaume, Wendell Ferguson, Suzie Vinnick, Amanda Bon, Ed Lawrence, Chris White, Selina Bishop, Hollis Morgan, Mary Gick, Arthur McGregor, Pat Moore, and Folka Voca.

The Saturday night concert features performances by Ottawa singer-songwriters Ana Miura and Amanda Rheaume followed by Wendell Ferguson, a great guitarist and humourist, and folk and blues MVP Suzie Vinnick.

Sunday daytime events will feature workshops, concerts for kids, a contra dance, a Spirit of Rasputin’s open stage, Gil’s hootenanny and more. The Sunday night concert will feature several choirs.

Visit ottawagrassrootsfestival.com for all the details.

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--Mike Regenstreif

Ottawa Folklore Centre celebrates 35 years

This weekend, the Ottawa Folklore Centre – which quite justifiably bills itself as “not your average music store – celebrates its 35th anniversary this coming Sunday evening with an all-star concert that represents more folk diversity than most of today’s weekend-long folk festivals.

Included on the bill are blues artists Terry Gillespie and Jesse Green, singer-songwriters Ana Miura, Missy Burgess and Doug McArthur, folk vaudevillians Sheesham & Lotus, banjo pickers Mary Gick, Ann Downey and Paul Hornbeck, tango accordionist Alicia Borisonik, harmonica player Marc Seguin, bagpiper Ross Davison, drummer Don Gibbons, the Folka Voca Choir, the Bytown Ukulele Group, and the Ottawa Folklore Centre Jazz Band.

Arthur McGregor, the Ottawa Folklore Centre’s founder and proprietor will host the concert. And if I know Arthur, there's going to be some singing along.

The concert takes place Sunday, November 13, 7:00 pm, at the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank Street in Ottawa (about a 90 second walk from the Ottawa Folklore Centre).

Proceeds from the concert will benefit the May Court Hospice. Call the Ottawa Folklore Centre at 613-730-2887 for tickets or info.

And, as if the concert wasn’t enough, there are some Saturday and Sunday afternoon workshops at the Folklore Centre.

The Ottawa Folklore Centre is an incredible resource: a music store, a music school and the heart and soul of city’s folk music scene. Few cities boast a folklore centre of this calibre. We’re lucky to have it.

Happy Anniversary and congratulations to Arthur and all his crew!

--Mike Regenstreif