Springtide hits town next weekend
Justyne Edgell
Uxbridge’s annual celebration of music and culture, Springtide Music Festival is less than a week away, and has even more in store for festival goers and community members to enjoy this year!
Springtide runs from June 12 to 14, boasting more than 60 musical acts on 12 downtown Uxbridge stages, all within walking distance of each other. The festival hosts singers, songwriters and bands from across Canada, with a strong east coast involvement in this year’s festival.
Along with headliners Reuben and The Dark and The East Pointers, there will be a Thursday night Launch Party headlined by Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, curated after party rock shows in the Wixan’s Bridge basement, a pay-what-you-can folk matinee, and the Youth Stage where all artists are 18 years old or younger!
On Friday, June 13, Springtide will open up its Outdoor Mainstage with local singer/songwriter Julien Kelland. An evening of music and dancing will lead up to The East Pointers taking the stage at 8 p.m., with their “get-you-up-dancing” jig-inspired tunes. Keep your eyes peeled during this performance for some exciting, local, special guests.
Brand new for this year’s festival is the Springtide Music Trail on Saturday, June 14. Downtown Uxbridge will come alive with a street festival featuring a variety of free programming including live music, interactive workshops, family friendly activities, local vendors and artisans, and a sidewalk sale across the downtown core. The Springtide Music Trail will run all along Brock Street West, highlighting independent businesses and shops, and includes a road closure on Upper Brock between Church Street and Toronto Street to support a local vendor market.
After a day full of music and community fun, Saturday’s headliner Reuben and the Bullhorn Singers will be on the Outdoor Mainstage at 8 p.m. This group is a collaboration between Reuben Bullock, lead singer/ songwriter of Reuben and the Dark, and the Bullhorn Singers, an Indigenous powwow group from the Blood Tribe, or Kainai, which comprise one of the four nations of the Blackfoot Confederacy.
“The collaboration between the Bullhorn Singers and Reuben has been a beautiful and powerful experience, both musically and personally,” says the Bullhorn Singer leader Billy Wadsworth. Uxbridge is the last stop on their tour in support of their album, All These Roads, which was released in May.
Springtide has again teamed up with The Second Wedge Brewing Co. to release its festival edition ‘Springtide Rocks’, which is the 3 Rocks IPA in flashy Springtide branded cans and tap handles, available for a limited time “in cans” and on tap around town.
There are new ticketing options for this year’s fest. Along with full weekend and single day passes, Springtide is offering curated, single venue shows, and new Youth and Young Adult Passes. The Workshop Stage, which gets festival goers up close and personal with artists, is back again, with interactive workshops at both The Bridge Social and St. Andrew’s-Chalmers Church.
A partnership with Blue Heron Books and The Book Drunkard Festival will bring Rik Emmet of Triumph to the Springtide Author’s Stage. This standalone ticketed event features Canadian Rock Hall of Fame legend Rik Emmet and award-winning author Terry Fallis discussing Emmett’s new book and album, Ten Telecaster Tales.
For details, the festival schedule, venue information and to get tickets, visit springtidemusicfestival.com