Do you have a happening hall in your community? Let us know! It’s that time of year again: the Ontario Festival of Small Halls is accepting new hall submissions.
Take a break from the recent cold snap to think about discovering some hot Canadian live music in authentic locations this fall.
The festival, which brings internationally-renowned musicians to beloved, rural community spaces each September, is growing its reach and is currently welcoming submissions from new halls to participate in this year’s event.
Running from Sept. 12 to 29, 2019, the festival is now in its sixth year of igniting local stages across eastern Ontario. In previous years, the Festival has welcomed established and emerging musicians including The Strumbellas, Ashley MacIsaac, Corb Lund, Kathleen Edwards, Colter Wall, Stephen Fearing, and many more.
This year we’re excited to incorporate more intriguing, culturally-rich community halls from across eastern Ontario. The festival is looking forward to bringing top-notch Canadian musicians to some of Ontario’s most unique rural buildings – but we need your help.
The festival will have a broader geographic reach this year, so we’re welcoming submissions for new halls with history and heart from further afield than we traditionally have.
In doing so, the festival is seeking new venues with a minimum of 150-person seating capacity, that are accessible, and which have an enthusiastic community group supporting the hall. The festival is searching for volunteer-led, community organizations which are willing to work with festival organizers to host high quality events and provide concert goers with a memorable rural Ontario experience.
Festival organizers will deliver programming, marketing, artist transportation, stage management, the best in sound equipment and technical expertise. Communities are asked to provide a local building and an eager team of volunteers to help with ticket sales, local marketing and other duties.
In addition to the musical event, some hosts have also used this opportunity to showcase their towns to visitors. Whether it’s a community dinner held in a neighbouring hall before the concert, a market or a walking tour, festival attendees are easily enticed to stroll down main streets and pop into local businesses to enjoy the distinctive flavour of the town on the day of the concert.
Communities interested in participating are asked to complete the submission form here. The deadline for submissions is Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.