For Don Wilson and his wife, who have been attending Northern Lights Festival Boreal since it first started, this year was a bit special.
This was the first festival for their granddaughter, Piper, who was visiting from Toronto. The Wilsons came for the different types of music, but took great joy in watching Piper play.
“We really likes the fact there’s something for everyone,” Wilson said.
But on Saturday, they were there to see Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy perform.
“We’re big fans of Celtic music,” Wilson said.
As for the rain, it didn’t phase them.
“We’ve been waiting for rain all summer, and now that the festival is here, it rains, but that’s why they invented umbrellas,” he laughed.
For Rachel Barber, from North Bay, attending NLFB was for something completely different. She is part of the Canadian Songwriter Challenge, and is one of 10 people from all over Northern Ontario who joined forced to put together a song. The deadline to have their song complete is Sunday. After that, we’ll be out on Ramsey Lake where they reveal everything they’ve accomplished over the week.
“When we’re not working on the song, we’re able to wander the festival grounds and take in the other music,” she said. “It’s been interesting. It’s a small venue, but large enough to be very diverse in what they offer. It’s nice and it’s full of local people. I really like the merchandise, because a lot of it is done onsite and it’s custom. The shows are really awesome, and since I’m franco-Ontarian, I liked Martine Fortin and Mandala.”
NLFB continues tonight and tomorrow at Bell Park. For more information, visit nflb.com.
