Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival underway

The ceilidh barn, surrounded by the green fields of eastern Kings County, the setting for this year’s 41st annual Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival that kicked off on Friday with a concert featuring international guest Liz Carroll, inter-province visitors Andre Brunét, Mairi Rankin (with local dancer Nathalie Arsenault) and Chris Kirby and the home-grown talents of Elmer Deagle, followed

by the second annual trad disco.

Organizers have been making changes to try to ensure the sustainability of the festival after taking over the even in 2016 and are focusing this year on increased comfort levels, including dedicated disability parking, more golf carts for transport between parking and stage areas, three undercover seating areas and moving the beer garden to be closer to the ceilidh barn.

Brent Chaisson, a third-generation organizer of the festival as well as a performer in the group DOC, is happy with how the weekend is unfolding.

‘The line-up this year is very exciting, because Liz Carroll is here – we’re all huge fans,’ Brent says.

‘There’s also a big francophone component, including Andre Brunét and Les Poules a Colin, which is really important to this region, given that Rollo Bay is originally an Acadian community,’ he said.

‘We’re so thankful for the support of the Fédération culturelle de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard that has helped bring these artists out to Rollo Bay, as well as a special event on Sunday. The Carnival in Promenade is an original collaboration

between the Acadian and francophone community and the Mi’kmaq community of P.E.I. to celebrate innovative artistic expressions, including circus. We know our audiences will love it.’

With one fantastic night down, there are still plenty of wonderful artists ahead, including The Chaisson Family, Shelly Campbell and Allan Dewar, Colette Cheverie, DOC, Andre Brunét, Liz Stringer, Liz Carroll, Sean Gray, Emerald Rae, the Chaisson Trio, Teresa Doyle, Richard Wood, Ward MacDonald, Les Poules a Colin, Andrea Beaton, JJ Chaisson, Vishtén, The East Pointers and plenty more.

Tickets and the full schedule of performance times are available online at rollobayfiddlefest. ca.

Ticket can also be purchased at the gate between 9:30 a.m. today and Sunday.