Hillside Festival Rocks On
Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell of Stars Make a Suprise Appearance
From tiny babies no older than three months to spry seniors commemorating their youth, all turned out to celebrate the 25th Annual Hillside Festival.
The three day festival took over the Guelph Lake Conservation Area between July 25th and 27th. Over 60 artists performed and, according to the Hillside website, tickets were sold out two days before the opening ceremonies.
The Festival's Line-up Was Dominated by Solid Canadian Talent
The festival showcased a cornucopia of solid Canadian talent, like Elliott Brood, The Burning Hell, and Sarah Slean, with a couple of foreigners, notably Joseph Arthur and Dubblestandart, thrown into the mix.
Around fifteen artist performed the first night, and there was large a turnout for The Abrams Bothers, a bluegrass gospel band with members ranging in age from 15 to 60. The audience was on their feet dancing frantically while the brothers ripped it on stage. But Friday night was owned by Hawksley Workman who belted insane renditions of his favorite Prince and Queen songs interspersed between his own repertoire.
On Saturday the festival’s small “Island Stage” was definitely the place to be showcasing high energy acts such as The Burning Hell, Plants and Animals, and the Born Ruffians. Sweaty bodies were pressed against one another during the electrocrunk duo Thunderheist’s set, which culminated with members of the audience jumping on stage to dance erratically to their hit “Jerk It”. Later, Hillside veterans Spiral Beach laughed about how only a few years ago they were volunteering at the festival.
The weekend went out with a bang on Sunday night, with Hayden backed up by Cuff the Duke’s Wayne Petti warming up the stage for Broken Social Scene. As a surprise to the audience the large ensemble also featured Amy Milan and Torquil Campbell of Stars.
The Unusual Stands, Workshops, and Food
But the weekend wasn’t all about the music. Numerous artisan stands littered the island selling anything from handmade drums to bizarre looking hats. There were also numerous workshops, with special ones geared at the youth and women. Among them were silk screening workshops, yoga classes, and how to find edible berries in the woods.
But perhaps the busiest areas, either than the three performance stages, were the food tents. The food was all provided by local businesses, and most of it was made in front of you. There were choices of Indian, Greek, or Caribbean, and homemade sausages, organic meals and drinks, all incredibly delicious. What’s more, is that all food was served on reusable dishes that were washed and redistributed by the festival’s infamous volunteer “dish ninjas”.
A Tried and True Combination Means Fun for Everyone for Years to Come
Hillside has it all, entertainment, education, food, all in a family and environmentally friendly setting. It’s therefore not surprising that people keep attending year after year, bringing their kids, who then bring their own kids, who then well, you know.
