While the curtain has fallen on the three-day TD-Newmarket Music Festival that has become a summer staple for music lovers, organizers say the music will continue to play at Riverwalk Commons.
Festival organizers and local music duo George and Sher St. Kitts earlier this year announced it was ending the annual outdoor festival that enjoyed a 10-year run since its inception in Aurora. It also dissolved its not-for-profit organization, Arts Music Festivals of York Region, along with disbanding the management team and board.
“It was time to move on,” George St. Kitts said. “It is a big job for Sher and I. The festival takes a whole year to plan, and we just got tired. It’s a big undertaking and we just thought we’d go out with a bang. It’s nothing political or anything, we just had enough.”
St. Kitts, however, will now work with the Town of Newmarket on producing its 2019 TD-Newmarket Music Series that offers guests free tribute band performances every Thursday night at Riverwalk Commons beginning July 4.
“I’m carrying the mantle in a way,” St. Kitts said. “I’m working with the town to produce some of the free concerts that they are going to be sponsoring. We don’t have the three days of music festival anymore, but something we started last year, the tribute acts at Riverwalk, that aspect will continue. It’s going to be great and I’m excited about that.”
The maestro, whose band the Motown Boyz continues to draw crowds at gigs across the GTA, said even though he has a smaller role on Newmarket’s music scene, he is committed to bringing “really great entertainment” to the Thursday night concerts.
“It’s going to be a lot less work,” St. Kitts said with a laugh. “All the acts are selected already and I’m producing and working on the sound. For Sher and I, the weather was always a factor with an outdoor festival. That stress of me worrying about it is not on my shoulders anymore. But we’re going to take Riverwalk and turn it into a great evening of music.”
Fans of the Newmarket Music Festival were saddened by the news that the event had come to an end, and numerous comments were posted on the group’s Facebook this week.
Jane Callaghan-Shapiro wrote: “We are very sad, but understand it’s a huge undertaking to put on such a large production and we thank you for the years that we were able to enjoy this fantastic festival.”
Expressions of thanks continued. Paul Jolie wrote: “Newmarket Jazz Festival was always a highlight of our summer. This is truly sad news and a loss to our community. Thank you for all your hard work over the years.”
The Newmarket Music Festival began in neighbouring Aurora but moved to Newmarket in 2014 as the Newmarket Jazz+ Festival. It had a mission to build a bridge between the festival and the Newmarket Theatre.
Local support and volunteers carried the festival through its evolution and landmark achievements, including twice being named one of Ontario’s Top 100 festivals by Festivals and Events Ontario.
In a news release announcing the festival’s closure, organizers wrote: “We worked to inspire local youth to follow their musical dreams and to teach dozens of interns how to run a big festival event.
“We were thrilled to have presented several dozen amazing entertainers, such as Justin Hines, Jackie and Kim Richardson, Spider Jones, Francesco Yates, Larnel Lewis, Joy Lapps, Colin James, Marshal Dane, Brass Transit, George and Alex St. Kitts, Stacey Kaniuk, Bernadette Connors, Glenn Marais, After Hours Big Band, Pauly and the Goodfellas, K.C. Roberts, Neil Chapman, Bob Burroughs, Brad Jones, David Howard, plus tribute bands from The Beatles, Blues Brothers and Prince to Bon Jovi and Shania, and many, many more absolutely great entertainers over these 10 years!”
Check the town’s TD-Newmarket Music Series page for the full lineup of summer tribute bands and opening acts.
