Finally, the weather was perfect on Saturday – we needed it for the annual Busker Festival held Downtown Cobourg. And the crowds did come so the King Street businesses should be happy – at least those between Division and Hibernia where the event was held. There were 11 different performers although some did 2 or 3 performances resulting in a total of 22 acts. They included dancers, jugglers, magicians, singers – and a special feature, an axe throwing venue. You could try your luck throwing an axe and if you knew how, you could make it bite into a wooden wall (see video below). There were also lots of vendors or people promoting their cause. And of course the Farmer’s market was operating in Rotary Park – so overall a busy day downtown Cobourg.
The numbers
There were:
- 3 Stages
- 22 performances
- 11 different performers
- 5 food trucks were expected
- 20 vendors
- 29 participating Cobourg Businesses.
List of Performers
- The Ganaraska Chordsmen
- Children of Indigo
- Premiere Dance
- Bex in Motion
- 3M Dance
- The Funny Waiter
- Jeff Biggar
- Joshua Roy
- Northern Hearts
- Naya & Carl
- Champion of Magic
Plus Warrior Axe Throwing (not really a performer but certainly entertaining)
One of the “vendors” was actually a group of 3 ladies and a man who were “Knitting in Public”. They told me that they wanted to show the world that contrary to what some may think, knitting as a craft has not died but is still very much alive.
The Video below is intended to give a sample or a “flavour” of the event.
Links
- Busker Festival draws large crowd – 10 June 2018 – includes video
- Cobourg Busker Festival 2017 – 17 June 2017 – includes video
- Busker Festival 2016 – 11 June 2016 – includes video
- Downtown Crowded for Buskers – 13 June 2015 – Photos.
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Fiona Milner , has a great voice for a 13 year old !
She is a raising star
I know they are constrained by how much street space they have (Since they won’t close to McGill, but always stop at Division, much to the chagrin of everybody east of Division St) but they had the musical acts too close together, to the point where probably 80% of the street was in clear hearing of multiple groups at once, so it was just a wash of sound.
They should either go back to the “One big stage with a full day of acts” approach they’ve used for other music festivals, set up one stage by the police station and another by TD bank, or figure out something to help avoid the “wash of sound” that made it hard to appreciate the otherwise fantastic musical acts.
(Since they won’t close to McGill, but always stop at Division, much to the chagrin of everybody east of Division St)
Just because the event stops at Division St. doesn’t mean that the businesses east of Division St. can’t set-up a booth at the Busker Festival.
I know, as I have experience of getting out there at 6am to hand-carry loads of product two blocks into where they managed to find a space for me for a sidewalk sale a few years ago. But the issue I was bringing up was the acoustic issues of putting live amplified music too close to other live amplified music, and not so much the experience of the stores vending.
I had lunch at Kelly’s and walked over to the Busker Festival around 1:30 PM. Perfect weather. I must have just arrived before or after all of the scheduled performers, other than some excellent musicians with open guitar cases holding lots of $5 bills.- including a couple of mine.
Fortunately for the crowd I did not participate in the axe throw event. My right hand rotator cuff has become unpredictable of late………………………..
All in all fun for those who attended. Hopefully King Street retailers had some decent sales from their street-side merchandise.