In the next week, you’ll see Festival of Small Halls posters popping up everywhere from community bulletin boards and placards across our region to online via websites and social media.
This is one of the many ways in which our volunteers with the treasured small halls really come through with promotion. We design the posters and professionally print them, but the volunteers have their fingers on the pulse of your local areas and know the best spots to place them in order to get the word out. You may see your community leaders out hanging posters that we have sent through – please welcome them with open arms.
In addition, our local opener roster is almost all complete! Last week we added Alex and Sean Price to the Elgin show at the Red Brick School, opening for Tomato Tomato; Nellie Holmes and Bob Webb to the April Verch Band show at the Morton Community Hall; The Denis Sisters at the Nick Smith Centre Hall in Arnprior, Trevor Alguire to the Elliott Brood Show at the Spencerville Mill; Amanda Jordan to the Devin Cuddy Band show at the Lyndhurst Legion Hall – and many more across eastern Ontario.
Community acts are set for almost all the shows, happening from Sept. 14 to Oct. 2, and include a range of musical stylings and performers.
The opening acts for each show get special consideration, as it’s a rare opportunity for an up-and-coming musician to share the same stage as a headliner. Giving local musicians that chance fits seamlessly as an extension of the festival focus on community and showcasing rural halls with history and heart – while also supporting hometown musicians.
Take a peek at our artists page here to see the bios of the local openers along with more information about the main musical acts. We bet you’ll see someone you recognize from your own community!
Community events are also starting to take shape for Festival dates at small halls across the region. Community dinners, get togethers and markets are in the works so keep an eye on our events page here throughout the next month and be sure to partake in the extra festivities.
We really enjoy this time of year, as buzz for the Festival starts to percolate. We’re excited to think about the fact that in only two months, we’ll be right in the middle of the Festival performances. We can’t wait!