Latest news with #HomeCountyFolkLeague
CTV News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Victoria Park, Home County, inseparable': Home County Festival returns after hiatus
Music fans packed into the centre of Victoria Park Saturday as hometown singer Leanne Mayer kicked off the return of the Home County Music and Art Festival (HCMAF). 'Victoria Park, Home County, they're inseparable,' said Bev Camp, known as the 'Dancing Cowboy' and a fixture at local festivals. 'This is the life of the city, even for a day. Look at the people here from all over. Same as Sunfest, it's the best.' The 49th annual HCMAF returned to Victoria Park two years after organizers with the Home County Folk League (HCFL) paused due to financial constraints. Home County Music and Art Festival 2025 Bev Camp, known as the 'Dancing Cowboy' is a fixture at London, Ont. music festivals (Brent Lale/CTV News London) A year ago, they held a small festival at London Brewing Coop. This year they came back downtown with just one stage instead of five. 'It's a testament to Londoners love of Home County,' said Artistic Director Darin Addison about the large afternoon crowd. 'We normally have five stages, going on all at the same time so there's something for everybody. If they don't like what's on one side, they go to another stage. So we had to be very meticulous about who we put on the stage. We want something that's going to appeal to a broader audience. I think we've done a great job with the lineup.' That lineup included Mayer, a contemporary singer-songwriter, as the opening act. Home County Music and Art Festival 2025 Leanne Mayer of London, Ont. opens the 49th annual Home County Music and Art Festival at Victoria Park on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) 'It's an honour to be included in the lineup, especially in a shortened group,' said Mayer, who last played the festival in 2019. 'I've been lucky to get a lot of support from London. Home County is London's gem. Everybody loves Home County, all the Indie musicians, so it means the world to me to be included.' This year, the HCFL was taking donations at the park and asking patrons to also spend money in their beer garden or with the vendors. Organizers will assess this year's festival and then regroup as they look toward planning next year's event. Home County Music and Art Festival 2025 Hundreds of people packed the lawn at Victoria Park for the 49th annual Home County Music and Art Festival on Saturday, July 26, 2025. (Brent Lale/CTV News London) 'If we get the donations and the turnout, then that's certainly going to be inspiration to bring it back to a three-day festival and next year will be the 50th. The HCFL's new fiscal year begins in September, so they'll start talking about a return to a three-day event. 'We've got 11 months to put it together,' said Addison.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Home County Folk League returns to London for 49th season
Preparations are underway for the return of the Home County Folk League this Saturday. (Lauren Stallone/CTV News London) Preparations were underway Friday morning at Victoria Park in London Ont., as the Home County Folk League is set to make its return this Saturday for its 49th season. The festival took a brief pause in 2024, due to rising costs. Iconic Canadian band, Bedouin Soundclash will take the stage, along with several other talented performers. 'I think there's a lot of people that are going to say they love them from Soundcloud or on the radio,' said Darin Addison, Home County artistic director. 'There's other people that are going to say 'I don't know that band' and then they're going to hear a song and say 'oh I know that song.'' Organizers said the festival will look a little different this year. 'We have one stage set up right in the middle of the park,' said Anna Donaldson, Home County chair. 'Its going to be a one-day festival here on one stage.' In addition to live music this year's event will feature a craft show featuring pottery, jewellery, fine art and gourmet food. Visitors are invited to explore the park and enjoy the music. 'We encourage everyone to BYOB,' said Addison. 'Bring your own blanket or chair because we are going to be in the grass in the centre of the park.' Since 1974, the festival has been a beloved fixture of London's cultural identity, celebrating Canadian music, art and craft in the heart of the city. 'We have all sorts of new and exciting ideas and we are looking for feedback from our visitors for future years,' said Donaldson. The festival kicks off at 1:30 p.m.
CBC
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Home County Festival to return for a single day of music in Victoria Park
Organizers with the Home County Folk League (HCFL) are looking for volunteers as they plan for the return of a one-day edition of the folk festival this summer. For the second year, the Home County Music and Art Festival will return to Victoria Park for a day of live music. Previously an annual multi-day event, organizers were forced to announce a pause two years ago due to financial constraints but have managed to schedule smaller-scale versions as they work to rebuild. "We essentially had a whole group of Londoners step forward and say this festival is very important for us," said HCFL chair Anna Donaldson. Home County was first launched in 1974 and became a fixture of London's cultural identity, celebrating Canadian music and arts and crafts. It ran on donations, public funding and vendor fees and operated as a registered charity. In 2023, its board said costs for the festival had gone up, while income streams did not. It also said it had trouble recruiting new board members with the know-how to run a three-day festival, as well as the hundreds of volunteers required to be on hand to bring the show to life. However, community response led to the formation of a new organizing committee dedicated to exploring ways to revive the festival. The details are still in the works, but 2025 is a "revitalization year," said Donaldson, which means Home County is going to look different from other iterations over the past 50 years. In addition to live music, it will feature a juried craft show showing Canadian artisans in pottery, jewellery, fine art, textiles, woodwork, photography, and gourmet food. "We're making sure that we have a little something for everyone down at the park," she said. "Again, that's something that Home County has always brought, something a little bit different, which is lots of different options for people to enjoy in the park." Looking back at 50 years of Home County in London 8 months ago Duration 6:08 Diane Morrow and Dan Ebbs penned the book Crazy Beautiful People - 50 Years of Enchanting Stories of Home County Festival. They joined London Morning to talk about the long-time folk festival ahead of the Home County Summer Celebration taking place at the London Brewing Co-op on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 1 to 10 p.m. Artist announcements can be expected in the coming weeks, she added. The festival is also looking for leaders and community partners to help shape its future. Home County has hosted hundreds of Canadian musicians, including Valdy, William Prince and later Aysanabee. It has given many local artists a stage to introduce their music, including The Pairs.
