The Small Halls are back

Traditional music, dance and storytelling festival

The P.E.I. Mutual Festival of Small Halls, a traditional music, dance and storytelling festival, returns to rural communities across Prince Edward Island June 11-24.

Held annually in halls that cover the Island from tip-to-tip, this year’s festival will present more than 50 cultural events in more than 40 communitybased venues.

Lead-up events will warm up the audience before festival alumni Dave Gunning and JP Cormier and others officially kick off the festival at the

opening show on June 11 at St. Mary’s Church in Indian River, alongside Island musicians, energetic dancers, and captivating storytellers.

For two full weeks Islanders and visitors alike are invited to share in the love of music, dance and storytelling in traditional meeting places steeped with community significance and cultural heritage.

In addition to internationally touring artists from P.E.I., a blend of world-class performers from across Canada and around the world will perform at this year’s festival, including Coig, The Once, The Press Gang, Tomato/Tomato, Steve Poltz, Charlie A’Court, William Prince, Port Cities, James Keelaghan, Cassie and Maggie MacDonald, Paul McKenna, the Mae Trio and the Barra MacNeils.

A recent winner of the Music P.E.I. 2017 award for event of the year, the festival has added 10 new venues, including Knutsford Community Center, the West Point Harbourside Centre, The College of Piping, Moth Lane Brewery, Upstreet Craft Brewing, Solid Rock Café at First Baptist Church, Trinity United Church, St. Andrews United Church in Vernon Bridge, Vernon River Parish Hall, Cornerstone Baptist Church in Montague and Roma at Three Rivers Pavilion.