Buskerfest has just announced it will be returning for a second year to the downtown streets of Kemptville May 20! A free one day event packed with music, magic and more crazy activities that you should not be trying at home! Organizers of the Buskerfest Committee hosted a launch party at Salamanders last Monday evening, where guests, sponsors and volunteers were invited to celebrate the great news.
The schedule of events will be released shortly, but what can be mentioned is that there will be some new acts joining the line up, as well as acts brought back by popular demand. The shows are free but gratuities are welcomed. There will be food vendors on site, and The North Grenville Art Guild will be joining the event with their art display and sale.
Make sure your cameras are ready! You may run into some famous characters on the street! Bring your children, bring your grandparents, as there will be something for everyone to enjoy. There will be areas where children will be able to enjoy activities and games, either at the North Grenville Library or on the front lawn of the former High School building. There will be lots to do between 10 am and 6 pm.
This event would not be possible without the support of the Kemptville Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA), the continuous support from the Municipality of NG in providing funding from the 2023 Budget, and with the support of the returning title Sponsor, Urbandale Construction.
The launch party began with a speech from David Gibbons, on behalf of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Steve Clark, thanking the organizers of the committee for hosting such a fun event, and extending their best of luck.
Mayor Peckford was next to speak. “The Council recognized that this could be an annual signature event for people to come and enjoy, and have a tremendous amount of fun in our beautiful downtown area, and this would be a great opportunity to attract tourism from far and wide that would benefit not only Kemptville but all hamlets.” Mayor Peckford thanked the sponsors, BIA, volunteers and the organizing committee, and wished them luck on the day of.
Alexandra Barlow, representing Urbandale Construction on behalf of Melissa Boudreau, Operations Manager, said “they are thrilled to be invited and part of such a grassroots initiative showcasing such a vibrant community’s talent and colours.” Urbandale recognizes that sponsorship is an important part of an event, but also recognizes the organizing committee and the hard work that is involved in the planning. They are thankful to be part of this event and looking forward to May.
Dave Leger, President of the downtown BIA, was glad to see a great turnout that evening and noted that it demonstrated the type of community we are in. Dave has only been in the area for the past 2 years, but is looking forward to setting roots and making this his home. He was also impressed with the support of volunteers, as he mentioned that “Volunteers can make or break the event, and they are the back bone”, and he appreciated the help from last year’s volunteers.
The speeches ended with the President of the Buskerfest Committee, Sierra Jones Martel, who said “organizers are well under way at making this year bigger and better and ready to blow everyone away, figuratively”, as last year the event ended with a sudden derecho that cleared the street within minutes, followed by a downpour of rain causing a power outage that cancelled the evening concert scheduled for 6 pm.
If you would like to become a sponsor or would like to volunteer on the day of the event, please visit www.kemptvillebuskerfest.ca for more information.
