The Grace Hartman Amphitheatre stage was packed last Saturday night for what was either a sold-out or nearly sold-out evening of music featuring Jamie Fine and Lights.
“It brought in so many people who have never experienced the festival before, and hopefully that created new festivalgoers from that experience,” festival executive director Michelle Murray told Sudbury.com this week, while recovering from the weekend festivities.
Although organizers had yet to tally up final numbers, Murray credited Saturday night as a highlight, with an audience of all ages taking in back-to-back sets by singer/songwriter Jamie Fine and indie-pop act Lights.
The crowd loved them, Murray said, crediting them with helping festival goers realize the annual festival isn’t just about folk music, but an eclectic variety of genres.
During the young acts’ performances at the main stage, better-traveled musicians, including folk musician David Francey and blues guitarist Colin Linden performed across the festival grounds at the cabaret stage, where they were also greeted by an audience of all ages.
“It was so great to see younger people out, getting to experience the festival. Choosing younger performers who attract younger audience members can build future festival-goers,” she said.
Fine spent hours at the festival grounds chatting with fans and joking around, Murray said, adding, “That woman has a heart of gold.”
“The performance you saw from Jamie Fine is just who she is,” she said. “She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. … Hopefully those attendees who came out for those performances will come out next year to check out the festival.”
The rainstorms on Sunday led to a bummer of a day, Murray said.
Despite this, she said that die-hard festival goers came out anyway, with their umbrellas and rain coats, to enjoy the musical acts.
Northern Lights Festival Boréal is known for including at least one rainy day, Murray said, and attendees have come to expect it.
During the balance of the three-day festival which spanned Friday to Sunday, Murray said that artistic director Max Merrifield curated “an incredible festival.”
Merrifield’s father, Scott, was one of the festival’s founders, and the younger Merrifield volunteered with the festival as a youth, joined as logistics and marketing co-ordinator in 2011, and became executive director beginning in late 2012 and artistic director in 2016.
This is his last year as artistic director, meaning someone else will take up the mantle for 2026.
Following a brief break to catch their breath, the small core team that organizes the festival will pick things up again soon, submit grant proposals by September and begin lining up acts for next year — new bands, Murray said, “for people to fall in love with.”
Organizers usually begin welcoming artist applicants in December.
The festival is usually over the span of four days, but Canada Day falling on a Tuesday made it difficult to get rolling by Thursday due to the setup required, relegating it to a three-day festival.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.