Summer 2013 - Country Roads

Musician Noah Zacharin was one of the performers on stage at the 2012 Club 580 shows nearthe Millennium Park band shell.Situated 2.5 hours equidistant between Torontoand Ottawa, Bancroft’s location, and themid-week date, has also made Mineral CapitalConcerts an attractive stage for performers likeJimmy Bowskill, The Arrogant Worms, LeelaGuilday, Rick Fines and Paul Reddick, who findthemselves travelling along Highway 28 en routeto big-city festivals.For locals, Mineral Capital Concerts is theplace to be on Wednesday nights — from 7 p.m.onwards from July through to August — andtourists from Apsley, Belleville, Madoc, Barry’sBay and Haliburton flock to the Millennium Parkvenue along the shore of the York River, withtheir families and lawn chairs in tow.Situated just steps north of Bancroft’s downtowncore, adjacent to the Best Western Motel,Millennium Park became a music venue in 2001when the band shell was built. The band shell isa traditional dovetail log building with a coveredroof, drafted by Compudraft Design Services.Local musician and storyteller, John Foremancut and installed hand-hewn shingles that forma roof for the stage area, which is approximately34’ wide by 17’ deep, with two change rooms anda lounge area in the wings. The stage faces westinto Millennium Park, which has a capacity ofapproximately 2,000 spectators. A recreational,multi-purpose pedestrian bridge is in place acrossthe York River at the west edge of the park andmeets up with Bancroft’s Heritage trail.But North Hastings is also a territory of sprawling,densely-populated lakes, most notably Baptiste,which is situated upstream from where theYork River continues on from the High Falls Dam.Baptiste Lake also delivers its own public musicfestival, on July 20, from the village’s CountryFare Restaurant on South Baptiste Road. Guests tothis event arrive by boats which “tie-up” in clustersto watch performers from the lake. CountryFare’s patio sits beside the stage offering a behindthe-scenesview of the performers and easy accessto the vendors’ area.In 2012, indie composer and singer Mary Milnelit up the Baptiste Lake Festival stage in a fete thatincluded a line-up of eight local bands. Milne engagedthe crowd with interactive compositions,including Already Gone, which she performed inthe movie The Trotsky, which won her a GenieAward for Best Achievement in Music in 2011.Bunnett refers to Bancroft and its surroundingcommunities “as a hidden gem of artists andmusicians” and, for the colleagues she brings tothe Bancroft-Maynooth Jazz and Blues Festival,the “lakes and vistas make Bancroft an attractivedestination for musicians who treat their festivaltime as a summer vacation.”Particelli tweeted, “Only 2 more sleeps! Can’twait to breathe the country air and hang with atalented lot of friends.”Bancroft and its surrounding communities aresought-after venues for musicians because theycome with a built-in clientele of live music fanswho bring it to the dance floor and can be countedon to turn out in full force when a musicianhits the stage. This support for local music is ev-Leila Guilday – one the Mineral Capital Concertsperformers.“Only 2 more sleeps!Can’t wait to breathe thecountry air and hangwith a talented lot offriends.”Indie composer and singer Mary Milne lit up the Baptiste Lake Festival in 2012. The public music festival willbe held July 20 this year. Photo: Michael Moxam18 I Country Roads • Summer 2013