Soup’s on at Indian River Festival

Island’s Jenni and the Hummingbird, Atlantic String Machine featured Sunday

The season’s not over yet at Indian River Festival.

But as the end of the season draws near organizers are gearing up for the eighth annual Harvest/ SoupFest set for Sunday, 1-4 p.m.

In partnership with Fall Halls, the Harvest/SoupFest fundraiser features dishes from local restaurants including The Table, Open Eats, Broadway 45, Island Stone Pub – Kensington Station, Samuels Coffee House, Breakwater Bar and Grill and Ship to Shore. Fresh rolls are provided by the Water Street Bakery.

Musical entertainment will feature Jenni and the Hummingbird with the Atlantic String Machine.

“Last year this event sold out. The soups were fantastic, and the music was incredible,” said executive director of the festival Don Quarles.

Jenni and the Hummingbird features Stratford native Jenni Roberge who grew up playing music, singing and dancing.

Her music is inspired by simple melodies and cinematic soundscapes by Ludovico Einaudi, an Italian pianist, and Norwegian artists Aurora.

She says she also pulls from influences to create sounds that resonate from the heart.

Atlantic String Machine, formed on the Island in 2015, is made up of Sean Kemp and Karen Graves, violin, Louis Garson, bass, Natalie Williams Calhoun, cello, and Jeffrey Bazett-Jones, viola. The group covers a wide range of music from classical to jazz, pop, work music and its own compositions.

Its debut album “Lost Time” was nominated for a 2017 East Coast Music Award for best classical album, as well as the title composition being nominated with its composer, Kemp, for best classical composition.

The group has collaborated with artists like Sarah Slean, Barbara Streisand, Anne Murray, Steven Page, Ron Sexsmith and Chantel Kreviazuk.