Golden Jubilee On The Shores Of Georgian Bay – Our Journey To This Years 50th Summerfolk

There’s something magical about driving north in August, watching the landscape open into rolling fields and, finally, the shimmering expanse of Georgian Bay. That first glimpse of water tells you you’re close to Kelso Beach Park, and close to one of Canada’s most beloved gatherings of music, artistry, and community spirit – the Summerfolk Music & Crafts Festival.

This year, we’re not just going to Summerfolk. We’re going to the Summerfolk – the 50th anniversary. A golden milestone for a festival that began humbly in 1975, when brothers Tim and John Harrison dreamed of bringing folk music to Owen Sound. Back then, the crowd sat on garbage bags in a muddy field. Now, half a century later, it has grown into a four-day celebration that draws audiences from across Canada and beyond – all powered by hundreds of dedicated volunteers and a community that refuses to let the music fade.

Summerfolk has always been about more than music. It’s about stories shared under an open sky, artisan treasures in the Artisan’s Village, songs drifting from seven stages, and that unmistakable feeling of belonging – no matter where you’ve come from. The festival’s history is a tapestry of weathered raincoats, unforgettable collaborations, and names that have shaped Canadian folk history: Stan Rogers, Bruce Cockburn, Natalie MacMaster, Blue Rodeo, Valdy, Serena Ryder, and countless others.

This year’s lineup is a feast for the ears and the heart.

Headliners MacMaster Leahy Family, Delhi 2 Dublin, and Ron Sexsmith will share the bill with a jaw-dropping range of talent: Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar, Danny Michel, Lemon Bucket Orkestra, Trout Fishing in America, Catherine MacLellan, Prairie Comeau, Sechile Sedare, Al Simmons, Andrina Turenne, Emm Gryner, Shakura S’Aida, The Pairs, Mia Kelly, Kobo Town, Coco Love Alcorn, John Wort Hannam, Treasa Levasseur, MacKenzie Blues Band, Inn Echo, Ryan Young, Larry Jensen, Luke Wallace, Big Little Lions, Boreal, The Barrel Boys, Tim Harrison, David Woodhead & Precious Little, Morgan Barrie, Bill Garrett & Sue Lothrop, Paige Warner, Rebekah Hawker, david sereda, Laloland, Kailey Jane Hawkins, JD Crosstown, Conor Gains, Josh Ritchie, Amber May, Rebecca Diem, Richard Knechtel, Grier Coppins, FAN Club, Blackburn Brothers, Bobby Dean Blackburn, The Hummingbyrds, Rob Elder, RPR, Grey Road 1, and the rising voices of Youth Discoveries winners Amanda Braam & The Paper Cranes, Bryson Cleland, Ella Frank, The Commune, and The Ruthven Sisters.

It’s a lineup that spans continents and generations, just as Summerfolk always has. From Celtic reels to global rhythms, smoky blues to indie folk, there’s a sense that the festival is as much about musical cross-pollination as it is about performance. You might start the day with a Gaelic fiddle set, find yourself dancing to Afro-Caribbean beats by mid-afternoon, and end the night singing along with thousands under the stars.

For those who have been before, Summerfolk is like coming home. For first-timers, it’s like discovering a new country where the only passport you need is a love of music.

The Georgian Bay Folk Society has always said Summerfolk is built on community – and you can feel it in every note, every handshake at the artisan booths, every volunteer hustling to make sure the magic happens. Fifty years in, the mission remains clear: to foster creativity, collaboration, and connection, one song at a time.

The Sound Cafe looks forward to chatting with some of the artists who are performing and bringing those interviews to you all, offering an inside look at the stories, inspirations, and journeys behind the music you’ll hear on stage.

Next weekend, we’ll be there – soaking it in, writing about it, and carrying those songs forward. Because festivals like this aren’t just about the weekend. They live on in the stories we tell, the friendships we make, and the music we can’t forget.

Happy 50th, Summerfolk. Here’s to the next fifty.

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