All about this year's River and Sky Festival

NEWS RELEASE

RIVER AND SKY
MUSIC AND
CAMPING FESTIVAL

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River and Sky Music and Camping Festival (July 19-21, 2013) launches line up and limited number of weekend passes

Bring your bike, guitar, tent, cooler, and canoe to this year’s River and Sky Music/Camping Festival.

For its 5th festival, River and Sky returns to the sandy banks of the Sturgeon River found at Fishers’ Paradise, in the community of Field, this July 19 to 21.

Weekend passes, now on sale, will be capped at 400 to ensure a good time is had by all.

“Part of R&S’s charm is that our artists and audience alike get to hang out and enjoy the simple pleasures of camping whether it’s swimming in the river or singing songs around the campfires. We’re about simple good times.” said Peter Zwarich, festival director.

The festival continues to feature the emerging sounds of Canadian indie music hitting its sunshiny-pop, surf, roots, rock, and even ‘70s punk notes.

On Friday, the affirmational pop synth of headliner Rich Aucoin, an Eastcoaster who calls Halifax home.

Opening for Rich will be Montreal’s Miracle Fortress and Sudbury’s infectious Almighty Rhombus.

Saturday’s Main Stage will rocket the audience into subpop space with the high energy of Ottawa’s Hilotrons, Wisconsin’s JAILL, the juicy 1960s bubblegum sound of The Bicycles, and finishing with our prairie-forged headliner The Rural Alberta Advantage.

Closing the festival on Sunday will be a rootsy grouping with the squeegee-bluegrass of Montreal’s Eat ‘n Holler,  the Blues of Devin Cuddy, singer-songwriter Lindi Ortega, a Torontonian who now calls Nashville home, and Juno Award winner, Old Man Luedecke from Nova Scotia.

The psychedelic surf of Sudbury’s masked lucheros, Supertoke, will light up the Friday’s late night campfire stage, followed by the mesmerizing afro beats of former Sudburian, Nathan Lawr and his Minotaurs.  

Saturday’s late night campfire stage will take us back to sweaty 1970s underground-punk with Sudbury legends Strange Attractor and returning festival favourites Hooded Fang, of Toronto.

Saturday afternoon is about hanging out at the river.  

The Beach Stage set starts with the  charming French yé yé rock of Marie Claire et les Hula-Hoops, switching to the surf infused sound of Static and Snow,  and finishing with the foot-stomping seven-piece band, Love Banshee, from Waterloo.  

North Bay’s Ben Hermann will bring his acoustic sounds to the Sunday morning Coffee House set.

Fishers’ Paradise is a 190-acre property with a sandy riverfront beach, near the community of Field in the municipality of West Nipissing – about a 45-minute drive from North Bay, one hour from Sudbury, and about five from Toronto or Ottawa.

There are many rustic camping sites available under the canopy of trees along the riverside, as well as open field camping.

“This year, Friends of Temagami is inviting folks on a family friendly Sturgeon River canoe trip and another down the mightier Temagami,” said Zwarich. “We’re also encouraging adventurous folks to cycle the Transcanada trail to the festival or just bring their bike along to R&S. It’s a great way to get around the grounds.”

Jean Benoit and Jim Little from Laurentian University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership Program will also be on hand with a bevy of canoes to promote and provide insight into paddling and backwoods camping.  

Canoes will be free to try at R&S courtesy of the university.  

Folks can now rent canoe tripping gear from Laurentian University if they are interested in paddling to R&S.

Contact Jean Benoit at [email protected] - 705-675-1151 ext/poste 1023.

The festival is an annual event put on by River and Sky Arts in the Woods, a not-for-profit organization officially incorporated in 2011 and overseen by a 12-member board.

Working closely together to make it happen are Music Director Mark Browning and Founder/Director Peter Zwarich.

It’s a labour of love that relies on its amazing member-volunteers.

All artists performing at the festival are paid.

The festival is made possible through the support of funders including the Canada Arts Presentation Fund (Heritage Canada), and the Ontario Arts Council.  

Our partners include Steam Whistle Brewing, Agilis Networks, and media partners CBC Radio 99.9 and Exclaim.ca.  

A generous donation from a local tree planting company will be announced shortly.

This year’s web and poster design is by Andrew Knapp and Christian Pelletier.

Long time festival fount of creativity, Yan Roberts also contributed illustrations and energy to the cause.

Tickets for the festival are $100 in advance for a weekend pass, and $125 at the gate.

Price includes simple camping on the property.

Food vendors include Fromagerie Elgin and R&S with Eat Local Pizzas and Pancakes along with The Green Bus and more.

R&S Advance Day passes (no camping) are $35 for July 19, $55 for July 20; and $35 for July 21.

Children and teens, 16 and under, with their families are admitted free.

Tickets for the festival are now available online or at the following retailers: Cosmic Dave’s Vinyl Emporium; Cosmic Dave’s Guitar Emporium; Eat Local Sudbury; The Farm (North Bay).

Visit our website.

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