Recordsetting year for Musicfest attendance
Peterborough Musicfest wrapped up for the season Saturday night after a record-setting year.
“We hit records all summer,” said Tracey Randall, Musicfest general manager.
The largest crowd of the 17-concert series was Aug. 2, when 17,500 people turned up for the ONtour event.
ONtour was a cross-province concert series funded by the Ontario government for Canada’s 150th.
Our Lady Peace, River Town Saints and Coleman Hell all took the Fred Anderson Stage that night. ONtour organizers handled the concert, bringing in LED screens and an enhanced sound system.
Room for a mosh pit was also created in front of the stage by shifting the VIP area closer to the water’s edge.
Randall said the standing-room only space allowed for more fans, helping to set the record turnout.
Gordon Lightfoot’s show in 2001 previously held the title for garnering the largest crowd.
Other big draws were Kim Mitchell on Canada Day and Tom Cochrane and Red Rider the Wednesday after Canada’s birthday.
“Having Kim Mitchell and Tom Cochrane in the same week, which would be uncalled for at any free festival ... we packed the park,” Randall said.
The general manager said the two shows drew 15,000 and 16,000 people.
Attendance is usually counted using aerial shots, Randall said. Though near the end of the season, it’s too dark to photograph the park.
“Not having turnstiles, I’ve always told people, it’s not an exact number,” Randall said of the count.
Although this summer has been a wet one, Randall said luckily most storms happened during the day. That meant they didn’t have to cancel a single show, but it did rain during some concerts.
Musicfest started July 1, running every Wednesday and Saturday night in Del Crary Park.
Randall said her most memorable moment this season was during Cochrane’s performance, a show that took her four years of negotiation. “To have everybody singing Life
is a Highway, and I was walking through the centre of the park, it was so magical – I will never forget that moment.”
Mitchell’s concert on Canada Day was unforgettable, too, she added, because he’s such a wellknown Canadian musician.
“For us to have him on Canada’s 150th birthday was extremely special.”
The Canada Day concert was funded by the city and the federal government.
The series ended Saturday night with a packed crowd for country artist Jason McCoy. Randall also got some recognition that night, receiving Fleming College’s Alumnus of Distinction Award on stage.
A 1988 Tourism and Transportation graduate, Randall said her years of studying statistics and macro economics has paid off – she’s constantly working on budgets and negotiating artists’ fees.
The general manager accepted the honour dressed in her cowboy attire.
“I brought a black dress, but I just ended up leaving my cowboy outfit on,” she said with a laugh.
Randall she was honoured to receive the award, especially since she only moved back to Peterborough five years ago.
“To move back ... and do enough for the city for them to honour me with this award was very nice and very surprising.”