A bountiful line-up of live music, art and craft shows, outdoor film screenings and much more will fill the streets of Sackville throughout the New Brunswick Day weekend as the annual Sappyfest and OK.Quoi?!Contemporary Arts Festival take place once again.
Organizers are busy preparing for the festivals, including getting approval last week from town council for street closures and an exemption from the municipality’s noise bylaw.
During its monthly meeting June 14, council granted the organizing committee’s request to close Bridge Street to traffic during the July 30-Aug. 2 weekend for the use of a mainstage tent for concerts and performances during the festival.
The Bridge Street tent will be the festivals’ main tent for the weekend with various satellite stages at George’s Roadhouse, Sackville United Church, Sackville Music Hall, Struts Gallery, Uncle Larry’s and the Vogue Cinema. Live music and performances will get under way Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. and run through until Sunday at midnight.
A time exemption from Sackville’s noise bylaw was also granted from 11 p.m. to midnight for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
Operation of a beer garden in a secured area on Bridge Street was also approved for the weekend.
Council also approved the closure of Willow Lane – for Wednesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 29 from 7-11 p.m. – for an outdoor film screening that will kick off the festivals.
SappyFest is an independent music festival produced annually in partnership with the Ok.Quoi?! Contemporary Arts Festival, Struts Gallery & Faucet Media Arts Centre.
Ok.Quoi?! is a concurrent interdisciplinary arts festival featuring screenings, performances, exhibitions and audio presentations which take place at various venues throughout Sackville. There is also a daily schedule of workshops for young audiences and professional artists alike.
This will be the fifth year the two festivals have co-hosted what is becoming one of Atlantic Canada’s most revered cultural events, providing a significant contribution to the cultural and economic impact of Sackville’s cultural tourism industry
In 2009, the festivals presented the work of over 100 artists and musicians to an audience of over 3,000. Sappyfest draws musicians and audience members from across North America. This year’s announced performers so far include Attack in Black, The Sadies, Chad VanGaalen, Jim Guthrie, Old Man Luedecke, The Felice Brothers and Julie Doiron, among many others.
