Eaglewood’s Artistic Directors Tina DesRoches and Liz Scott have scoured the vast musical landscape and have secured a large portion of the Festival’s 2012 lineup, including top performers, award-winning artists and up-and-coming acts on the cusp of bursting onto the world stage.  There is nothing safe or boring about this lineup of 2012 performers!

We are excited to announce the following confirmed artists:
Danny Michel
Jaffa Road
Steve Poltz
Julian Fauth
Suzie Vinnick
Gordie Tentrees
Keith and Renee
Ridley Bent
Binaeshee Quae
David Newland
Jack Grunsky
Leon Knight and the Neon Lights
Mark Reeves
Nichol Robertson
Luke Michielsen

The critically acclaimed, award-winning Frank Grunsky is the featured entertainer for the Children’s Program.  We think more families should discover Eaglewood for its family-friendly programming. Please help us to spread the word to parents who want to musically inspire and engage their children.

To many, camping on the Eaglewood property brings the fullest festival experience.  Be sure to purchase your combined Camping & Festival Weekend Pass to secure your spot at the lowest price. BUY ONLINE NOW!

Please take note of Eaglewood Membership – two different price points enabling you to support the festival. Both the $20 Financial Friend of the Festival and the $85 Membership Package are available online to purchase anytime.  Or, contact me or any Eaglewood Board member!

Early Bird tickets remain on sale until the end of May. Buy tickets NOW for best prices!  On June 1^st, Advanced ticket prices start online and tickets will also be available from merchants on our Vendor List.

There are more lineup announcements to come. Are you in our database to receive the Eaglewood enewsletter? Sign up now in the right hand margin of this page.

Please tell others about the Eaglewood Folk Festival and what it means to you.  I’m certain there are many who would really appreciate discovering our little music festival.

Thanks,

Denise Sheedy
President, Eaglewood Folk Festival
info@eaglewoodfolk.com

Eaglewood proudly hosts Sean Cotton’s Doghouse in concert April 28th in Pefferlaw at the Belvedere Cookhouse and Saloon. Admission is only $5 so we expect lots of Eaglewood patrons and new-to-the-festival folks to come out to enjoy a Saturday evening of great, live music.

Here is what Sean says about his new group:  Sean Cotton’s Doghouse reflects the R&B side of my personality in the vein of Bill Withers and Sly Stone. The all acoustic group is a trio consisting of myself on acoustic guitar, vocals and foot percussion, Jed Corbeil on upright bass, & Chris McConnell on hand percusiion. This is a new project coming out of Muskoka and getting ready with a grooving summer vibe.

Your Eaglewood organizers have been busy working on ways to spread the good word about Eaglewood, to encourage more families to attend and to enrich your Eaglewood experience. Another outstanding festival awaits you on August 24, 25, 26, 2012!  See what is new below.

Family Fun at the main stage 2011 Eaglewood

EAGLEWOOD NEWS:
Adjusted age groups – Child prices apply to kids aged 6 through 15.  Youth ages are now 16 to 21. NEW Senior age group offers lower price point for those 65 and over.  See all ticket prices and ages.

Adjusted prices – Ticket prices are higher this year.  Festival costs keep going up, our artistic budget has increased and admission prices had not changed for many years.  For the health of the festival, it was necessary to increase ticket prices.  Compared to other summer music festivals, Eaglewood is a bargain! Check out our Ticket Prices.

Camping passes are available in advance – We have created a NEW weekend camping pass that includes festival admission and covers four nights camping and saves you money. Arrive Thursday afternoon and leave Monday morning; enjoy the splendor of the Eaglewood grounds and the three-day festival for an all-in-one low price. Buy EARLY and save up to $26 per ticket. Only 350 advance camping passes available.

Eaglewood Membership: Festival Patrons far and wide can take advantage of specials savings and privileges while supporting the festival. It’s an easy and effective way to show your love. See membership details.

Artistic Team: Folk veteran Liz Scott has joined Tina DesRoches in choosing this year’s performance line-up. Eaglewood is thrilled to have the artistic powerhouse team of Liz and Tina – they have already booked some artists – stay tuned for upcoming announcements.

Early Bird Tickets can be purchased online starting March 15th. Buy NOW for lowest prices and best savings. Eaglewood has eliminated the service fee – we hope you will be delighted with your online purchase experience.

Over 600 new photos are posted on the Eaglewood website. Special thanks to Bruce Sarasin, James Dean and Mike Bourgeault for capturing the essence of the 2011 Eaglewood experience in their photos.  Visit the photo gallery.

More news will be coming shortly….stay tuned!

Denise Sheedy, President Eaglewood Folk Festival

No doubt about it…Eaglewood is a hidden jewel among summer festivals and more folks would certainly attend if only they knew how remarkable it is.  The 2011 audience survey results provide some insight into what makes Eaglewood special. Following is an excerpt from a report submitted to the Town of Georgina in November 2011.

Summary – 2011 Festival: The three days of blue skies and sunshine contributed to an excellent audience turnout, with between 1,400 and 1,500 total attendance, up considerably from last year.  We attribute much of this increase to the large proportion of new, first time attendees (27.6%).  Despite a downturn in the economy and fewer grant funds from 2010, the festival broke even, meaning all the bills were paid. Our success is due to strong leadership, hard work and commitment by board members, effective marketing initiatives, good weather and keen attendees.

2011 Attendance: Ticket purchases were 22% higher than 2010 with a total audience turnout of approximately 1,200.  Adding to this the large number of volunteers (100), and the number of musical artists and their guests (130) and the vendors and their staff/helpers (50), we estimate overall attendance to be between 1,400 and 1,500 in total. This represents a substantial increase over last year (approx. 30%)
Survey Results: The 76 audience participants surveyed represented 203 total attendees or 2.67 people per party, an indication that many families and groups attended. Of the 76 respondents, 63 (31%) were Georgina residents.  140 (69%) of the 203 represented came from other locations; furthest home location was Vancouver.

- Only 1 (2 in party) answered “no”, that they would not attend again based on their experience so far.

- 9 parties (11.8%) said “maybe” when asked if they would attend again based on their experience so far.

- 66 parties (86.8%) said “yes” when asked if they would attend again based on their experience so far.

- The combined total indicates an overwhelming majority (98.7%) answering “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they would attend again, based on their experience so far.  This indicates a very high satisfaction rating and will hopefully translate into return visits next year.

Eaglewood has created a growing community of like-minded people of all ages, who love getting together on the fourth weekend of August to experience the Eaglewood Folk Festival on the beautiful grounds of the Eaglewood Resort and Nature Park. The reasons for attending are many and varied, but the common thread seems to be the “vibe” and “atmosphere” experienced during the festival – a communion and inclusiveness of ordinary people, regardless of their ability, sharing their love of live music.

Comments from some of the 2011 Survey Forms:
“Amazing!  Family friendly, great vibe, bringing everyone I know next year”

“Relaxing family festival & diverse talent”

“Love it! All aspects of it!”

“It has been a wonderful weekend! Great talent – Great vibe!”

“Great family atmosphere / great music”

“We love this festival”

“I like the camping/community aspects of the festival and the ‘Player’ aspects as well”

“Great music and atmosphere”

“Great music variety in performers, easy going people, natural setting & 24/7 music and camping”

“Low key, great talent, close to Toronto”

“Wonderful performers, great experiences and people!”

“Love the peaceful atmosphere and I appreciate all instruments and the ages that play them”

“I like the format & atmosphere”

“I’m a child of the 60’s and adore folk music!”

“Setting is beautiful, nice variety of music – can’t believe I’ve never been before!”

“It’s my local festival (and Georgina certainly is in need of a folk festival)”

“Love it!  Plan to attend entire weekend next year. Amazing atmosphere & performers”

We are looking forward to another fantastic festival in 2012.  Are you planning to attend?

Positive feedback is still streaming in about the 22^nd Eaglewood Folk Festival, August 26, 27, 28^th. A flood of unsolicited reports from attendees, volunteers, vendors and artists are commenting about what an awesome festival we put on.  If you were there, you knew just how special it was.

Future Eaglewood Audience

I always knew that Eaglewood was different from other music festivals. Now I am convinced that Eaglewood is completely unique.  No wonder so many loyal patrons return to Eaglewood each year. This year, lots of new folks were exposed to our wonderful festival. Old or new, many attendees have eagerly shared their comments.  Here are just a few:

“thank-you again for an amazing experience at your festival. Honestly, in 7 years of doing festivals I have never been in such a well organized laid back environment. From the boys at the gate to the MC…all of it was top notch !!!” First Time Vendor

“…what a wonderful time we had at Eaglewood 2011, and how much we appreciate the hard work, inspiration and dedication necessary to make such a memorable event happen. We’re especially grateful that we could bring our dog; he loved it too. We’ll all be back next year!” New Attendee

“This weekend will live on in people’s memories as a beautiful summer experience for years to come.”Artist

The survey forms yielded comments like “very laid back”, “setting is beautiful, nice variety of music – can’t believe I’ve never been here before!”, “relaxed atmosphere”, “Amazing! Family friendly, good vibe, bringing everyone I know next year.”, “Love it!  All aspects of it!”, “Great music, variety in performers, easy going people, natural setting & 24/7 music at camping”, “I LOVE EAGLEWOOD – BIG FAMILY”

Thanks to everyone who assisted in their own special way to make this such a memorable event. An Eaglewood community spirit was very evident. Individuals, merchants and businesses extended their support in many ways; purchase of memberships and tickets, sponsorships and program advertising, attendance at fundraising concerts, donations of home baking, in-kind contributions, lending of equipment, willingness to billet performers, many hours of volunteer work, offers to promote, eagerness to assist.  This community-spirited support is so appreciated by our not-for-profit volunteer organization.

Yes, Eaglewood is a special festival. Let’s keep the Eaglewood vibe alive and thriving. I invite you to share your comments about your Eaglewood experience.

Denise Sheedy, President

Have something to share about the Eaglewood Folk Festival?  What makes it so special to you? Add your thoughts by clicking the “comment” button below and telling us about your Eaglewood experience.

…why I love this festival…
I am selective in which festivals I attend as time and money make it necessary.  I make a point of coming to Eaglewood every year and have done so for the past 7 or 8 years.   What brought me the first time was the reasonable cost for the weekend package and it’s close vicinity to Barrie (where I lived at the time I first attended).  One reason I keep coming back is that the price is still reasonable and it has not gotten too big (big enough to keep it interesting but not so big that I’m over-whelmed although word does seem to be getting out – alas.)

Comparatively speaking to other festivals I’ve attended, this festival provides a nice mix of familiar artists with new and upcoming.  The variety is always a nice mix.  I think it is great that the stages are far enough apart that there is no overlap of the music.  I love the accoustic stage and it’s setting – very informal and it provides the opportunity for many unknown talents to express themselves in a very warm and supportive environment.  I’ve been coming for a few years now so of course I now find myself seeing many familiar faces and look forward to seeing them.

I absolutely love that we can camp on site and it is nice grounds for doing so – NOT field camping (if you know what I mean).  For those who want to camp in a group, there are those options but still enough space on the grounds that if one wants a little more privacy or quiet, it can be found.  I love that there is always opportunity for us camp fire hacks to jam.  Doesn’t get better than that.

I especially love that the organizers make a point of making the grounds accessible to people with challenges.

Jay ce

Press Release – August 11, 2011

Enthusiasm is mounting for the 22^nd annual Eaglewood Folk Festival taking place in Pefferlaw on the weekend of August 26 to 28, 2011. For lovers of authentic, singer-songwriter music, this outdoor festival is a great Canadian music experience. Nestled into the pine trees of the fully wheelchair accessible Eaglewood Resort, the three day festival is an ideal family destination.

The Eaglewood Folk Festival has a long history of presenting new and exciting Canadian roots music talent – music that has put Canadian artists on the world stage. Performers include Juno winners, platinum album sellers and darlings of the CBC. This year’s line-up features over 20 musical acts including “Canadian Roots Music Legend” Ken Whiteley and “Goddess of the Blues” Rita Chiarelli. Also appearing are Luke Doucet, Melissa McClelland, One Hundred Dollars, Brock Zeman, Alejandra Ribera, David Baxter, Patrick Brealey, Quebec band Belzebuth and many, many more.  The Hogtown Roots All-Stars is a 13 member compilation of well-known Toronto artists, lead by Sean Cotton in their rendition of the Band’s “The Last Waltz”, a high-powered conclusion to the festival on Sunday night.

As new Artistic Director, Tina DesRoches brings passion and enthusiasm to this year’s Eaglewood Folk Festival.  “Attendees will certainly get their money’s worth of great entertainment” comments DesRoches.  New this year are interactive workshops offering ukulele, zen guitar and song writing instruction and a Youth Showcase for young performers to demonstrate their talent, vying for a chance to perform on the main stage.

Eaglewood is a family-friendly event that includes workshops, artisans village, food vendors, open mic, song circles and jamming all weekend long.  Attendees are urged to bring their instruments.  There is a playground, pony rides and Kid’s Town area with crafts and activities all day Saturday and Sunday. Camping for 400 is available on the 90-acre site.

The festival is about 40 minutes northeast of Markham and just minutes from the beaches of Lake Simcoe – a wonderful swimming destination and perfect for daytrippers from the GTA. More information, including advance ticket prices, can be found at www.eaglewoodfolk.com. You can also call 1-888-817-FOLK (3655).

See you at Eaglewood in two weeks!

PRESS RELEASE – JULY 28, 2011

The Eaglewood Folk Festival announces a strategy that supports all local businesses.  Festival attendees are being asked to enter a draw to win a grand prize valued at over $200. All they have to do is to shop locally during the three day event, including the preceding day – August 25th. On the back of every receipt from purchases made at any Georgina business, they record their name, town and phone number, and drop it into the large drum on site at the festival.  Any legitimate receipt for any product is eligible. The draw takes place on Sunday, August 28th on the main stage where the winning receipt will be announced.

“The object of the draw is twofold”, according to Eaglewood Folk Festival President, Pefferlaw resident and business-owner Denise Sheedy.  “The festival organizers want to encourage event attendees to buy local…to purchase their food and other festival requirements during their visit to Georgina. We also want to show support to our local community that supports the festival, whose financial help and in-kind donations we rely on for the successful functioning of our event.”

The draw is open to every festival goer and there is no limit to the number of receipts any one person can submit.  Every festival attendee can be involved and it costs nothing to participate. It also costs the merchants of Georgina nothing to reap the rewards of hundreds of festival goers shopping locally. Eligible receipts must show dates of August 25, 26, 27 or 28th, and be entered into the on-site draw drum.   The owner of the winning receipt does not have to be present. “This is a first time grassroots effort”, says Sheedy. “It will be gratifying to see the big drum filled with receipts and know that local businesses are benefiting.”

The Eaglewood Folk Festival is a not-for-profit organization run by volunteers that produces an annual three day music festival at the Eaglewood Resort and Nature Park, 9715 Morning Glory Rd, Pefferlaw, ON.   In its 22nd year on August 26 – 28, 2011, the family-friendly event features diverse and original folk/roots music on three stages, interactive workshops, children’s program, food vendors and artisan village.

For more information about the festival and the “Shop Local Draw”, and to see how you can support the Eaglewood Folk Festival, please visit the website www.eaglewoodfolk.com or contact Denise Sheedy at 905- 722-9569.

 Eaglewood Presents

  Old School Country meets New School Cool

  Saturday, July 24th, 2011!

 The Dakota Tavern, 249 Ossington Ave, Toronto

 6:30pm – 10pm

 $10

 Leon Knight and the Neon Lights will take to you the time of Buck Owens, George Jones,  Loretta Lynn, Hank  Williams and more of your ol’timey  favorites. They’ll also throw  in a few original tunes which will have you asking… “who wrote that?  Isn’t that an old Ray Price tune or no wait… perhaps Roger Miller…”  

Then we’ll bring in Marshall Dane from ‘Marshall Dane and the Law’.  He’ll be playing his own rockin’ country hits.  Marshall has been opening for the likes of Alan Jackson, Blue Rodeo, Gord Downey… he is a true entertainer thru and thru! 

Then we’ll see what happens when we fuse the ol’timey goodness with the new school cool!  A night not to be missed!  Definitely wear your dancing shoes – cause at the Dakota – it’s not only alright to get up and shake some tail - it’s expected!

Another treat has  just been added to this show  ~ David Newland will serve as our charming Ukulele-playing host for the evening. 

Oh, and by coming out you’ll also be supporting Eaglewood Folk Festival.  You will also be able to purchase tickets and pick up our awesome $5 /off weekend pass coupons.

See you there!

                          New Artists Added to Eaglewood’s Lineup  &                    Early Bird Ticket Deadline Extended – July 15th!!

I am thrilled to announce that Rita Chiarelli, Kae Sun, Daniel Sky Band and Marky Weinstock have been added to Eaglewood’s lineup!

I’ve updated the Eaglewood Radio Player with more songs – take a listen or check out their websites!

I’m on draft four of the schedule.   I’ll be posting the main stage schedule soon and the full weekend program fill follow soon after that.

I spent last Saturday at Music in the Streets in Keswick and was blown away by how many young and talented musicians there are in the area.  It was a really great event and I’m happy to say we’ll be inviting some of the performers we heard to play the Youth Showcase on Saturday at Eaglewood. 

I’ve secured a Sunday early morning meditation and Yoga session with Paola di Paolo from Four Directions Yoga (Keswick).  It will take place at the main stage so bring your cushion and your mat and some comfy clothes.

Also, there will be some inspiring interactive workshops with our performers and an open stage where you can perform your heart out, not to mention the random jam sessions – so be sure to also bring your instruments and your best singing voice.

If you have not purchased your tickets yet – what are you waiting for?  This is such a great deal and the lineup just keeps getting better and better. 

Be well.  See you Soon.

Tina