by Sheldon Birnie
Well, friends, the Harvest Moon Festival wrapped up this past weekend under Sunday’s grey skies. The weekend was a beauty for an outdoor festival, and about as far removed from last year’s chilly, drizzle soaked romp as could be. The sun was shining Friday as I drove into the sunset, and Saturday hovered around 30 degrees. People walked around the community barefoot, bare chested, and smiling ear to ear, soaking up the last of the season’s rays.
The music was great. Friday night featured bluegrass and country western, while Saturday’s small stages played host to folk strumming and plaintive singer-songwriters’ laments. Al Simmons performed an afternoon mainstage set, complete with about the best entrance I’ve seen in moons, clomping up on a bicycle powered horse, which had children of all ages just grinning. Saturday night kept, with strong sets from Greg Macpherson and Imaginary Cities, and the party continued under a beautiful canopy of stars until dawn.
And now the rains of autumn are coming down, wind whipping dying leaves from the trees. But fear not, fellow travellers! Autumn brings many things to the music fan. New releases are filling the Stylus inbox daily, and we’ve got a good concert line-up through into late November. Winter is still a season away, and there’s plenty of living to do before the Great Hibernation! See you soon.