SUCCESSFUL TRIBUTE COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025
SUCCESSFUL TRIBUTE COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL 2025
WHAT A FESTIVAL !!! The Big Tent was hopping from Thursday to Sunday. The House Bands were amazing and we had the best entertainment – something for everyone.
The STAGE MANAGERS did an exemplary job keeping everyone on track and it was really difficult as we had some special presentations during the weekend. This meant those Stage Managers had to juggle times and keep everyone on track. JOYCE SEAMONE is the leader of the pack and has been working behind the scenes for many, many years. ARTHUR BROWN has been her next in command forever it seems and at the Summer Festival he actually takes the lead. CAROL PENNEY has worked behind the scene in Joyce’s pack and has for many years. We know that with Joyce in the lead that we will have a very well run and tightly time focus much to the delight of the Festival organizers and the band members. THANK YOU JOYCE, ARTHUR AND CAROL. You are the best !!!!!
Our Youth and Young Artists gave us some fantastic performances beginning on Thursday and ending on Sunday with a spontaneous Hymn Sing that day. Thursday the appearance of Tristan Weare, Autumn Dedrick and Nicholas Langille proved that youth is no barrier to providing first class music. Friday we heard Ryan Harvey, Amy Verge, Kayla Bolivar, Carson Fullerton, Tyler Salsman and Lucas Whitehead. What a day that was with those young artists singing their hearts out. Saturday we had Shelly MacIntosh, Cameron Nickerson & Samantha Delorey, Charleee Backer-Stone and The Jovial Joes provide us with stellar performances. What can I saw about all of those folks who are the legacy our Festivals present and who show that Country Music is alive and well!!!!
Not to be put aside were those fantastic performances of single artists who have been performing before Country audiences for years. Then we had several duos and many Country bands perform showing our youth and young artists how it is done sometimes with toe tapping renditions of songs we have heard for years and also newer songs that are keeping country music alive. Friday night we had the Nova Scotia Country Music Hall of Fame inductees including Ruth Manning, Jamie Cotter, John Snyder, David Coggins and Dave Burbine perform to the delight of the audience. NS Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Verge, who has been at 33 Tribute Festivals, announced he is retiring and this was his final performance. We thank him for being on stage all these years and providing audiences with his wonderful renditions of songs we love. He will be missed!
The Saturday headliner was from New Brunswick with two well known folks who have attended the Tribute for many, many years – Ray Legere, famous fiddle player & multi-instrumentalist and Bernie LeBlanc, beloved friend of Hank Snow and of our Festivals. They brought the band Southern Breeze here again to the delight of the audience. Closing Saturday night was Gordie Giles who has been at the Tribute almost from the start and he is the newest Inductee to the NS Country Music Hall of Fame to be inducted September, 2025.
Our House Band members went above and beyond to help those they backed on stage. Kevin Roach – Lead Guitar; Jim McRae – Steel Guitar; Paul Fitzpatrick – Drums; Dale Sewers – Bass; Mike Surette – Bass (who is another new Inductee to the NS Country Music Hall of Fame to be inducted September, 2025).
Friday night the House Band members were: Ruth Manning (an Inductee to the NS Country Music Hall of Fame) – Harmony vocals, piano and rhythm guitar, Joel LeBreton – Lead guitar and vocals, Andy Quinlan – Bass and vocals, Bob MacDonald – steel guitar (an Inductee to the NS Country Music Hall of Fame), Scott Redden – drums.
Hank’s Chuckwagon was a busy spot and very welcome with some wonderful food provided by Michelle Colp, Louise Crowell and their volunteers. The menu included hot dogs, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, sandwiches, and a most delicious cold plate. It was wonderful to have the Chuckwagon so close to the action as folks could go up order, eat and never miss the music.
Lots of raffles and chance games: Merv & Bernadette Hartlen – 50/50; Bea Long – raffle board of gift certificates & Beautiful Afghan; Nita Ball – Membership; Buy a Square – Hope Stanton, Summer Student (this raffle is ongoing until all the squares are gone and the winner gets half the take) ; and we had a great Gift Shop table as well with many folks helping out there including Ron Muise and Wanda Long who are Board members.
There were many volunteers manning the many busy gates and various other parts of the Festival to keep it well oiled and running led by Annetta Moses-Gorman, Board member.
UPCOMING – LOOK FOR OUR NEXT POST ON OUR WEBSITE! We will dedicate a post to all of our Volunteers and to our wonderful donors and sponsors next week. Look on this Web page for our thank you page. You will be amazed at the wonderful folks we will feature.
There are so many folks to thank and our Board of Directors are the first to be commended on being onside the entire year and previous years which have been a challenge but they rose to it and made these events possible.
We never forget our Audience members who faithfully come to our events including this Festival but also we had a number of new members of the audience who we welcomed with open arms and many came to tell us they really enjoyed their time at the Festival. So many RVers were here and we love having them. We have many younger Festival goers and we loved to see them.
If you have pictures of the Festival, please send them to info@hanksnow.com so we can use them all year long.
THANK YOU TO ALL WHO WERE PART OF THIS PROCESS EITHER ON STAGE, BEHIND THE SCENES OR KEEPING THE AUDIENCE FED OR LOOKED AFTER. IT WAS A DELIGHT TO HAVE SUCH POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIENCES. ON TO 2026 !!!!!
