Blogger: Cynthia Bragg

A Field of Dreams for the music lover is in the small town of Canso, NS that has, for the past 13 years, been the site of the "Stan Rogers Music Festival".  When you read of the history of the festival, it is an amazing story.  A tale many fishing villages share is one of hardship with the decline of the fishing industry.  In the town of Canso their passion for the music has overcome.  A celebration of Stan Rogers, who was a regular visitor and lover of Nova Scotia, this festival also swells the town to what seems like 10 times it's population.  (I don't have exact numbers but there were a lot of people making this musical pilgrimage.)    The passion for the music is everywhere.  And I can't help but think that someone there heard the whisper of Stan Rogers himself...if you build it...they will come.

And come they do, through the fog and the mist, through the pummeling rain and the thunder and lightening, 50 performers and thousands of visitors literally flooded the town for three days.  Okay, maybe flood is a poor choice of words but the weather did nothing to damper the spirits of hardcore "Stanfesters".    Headliners included Don MacLean, Sarah Harmer and Corb Lund.  The grounds held a rainbow of mud tapping rubber boots.  True "Stanfesters" come prepared with tarps, umbrellas, boots and even oilskin suits...it is after all a fishing village.  There is no such thing as being "rained out".  Crowds congregate under a number of tents, each with their own show going on during the day.  And then at night, it's under the open sky where there were more buckets of talent than rain.

There is great music from morning to night and you can wonder from show to show while day turns into night.  For me the time passes quickly as I enjoy all the variety.  The best part...finding that new artist that you've never heard before and falling in love with the music on the very first listen. For me, this time it was Molly Thomason a singer/songwriter from Antigonish.  A wise and soulful poet, I could scarcely believe it when I heard she was 14 years old!  She writes with depth and emotion that knows know age or time.  I snapped up her CD on the spot and have been listening to it ever since.  She's definitely one to watch.

Stanfest is prepared for all its visitors with tents for CDs, souvenirs and forgotten necessities from candy to rain capes. They also had a food court with restaurant vendors from Canso to Antigonish featuring everything from pulled pork and pizza to fish and chips and scallop kabobs.  

My only regret is not making plans to stay in Canso and I missed a few great acts because of sleepy daughter but we enjoyed as much as we could. Next year I'll show up in true Stanfester style, a tent, rubber boots and sandals, a few of my best girlfriends and a promise not to miss a beat!

The Stan Rogers Folk Festival usually takes place over 3 days around the first week of July.