Hillside

When: July 24-26
Where: Guelph Lake Conservation Area

Hillside, started in 1984, has become one of the largest festivals in Canada, with more than 50 acts performing over the weekend.

According to artistic director Sam Baijal, the festival was started by local musicians who wanted to hold the event on somebody’s property that was located on a hill. In the end, the festival was hosted by the Guelph Lake Conservation Area and has been held at this location since.

“Hillside really promotes the importance of community and the bands that perform at it know that,” explained Baijal, adding that Hillside’s main artistic goal is bringing together as eclectic a mixture of artists as possible.

“Just about anything goes,” he said. “We’re not a folk festival, it’s not genre specific … we’re fortunate to have audiences with diverse tastes.”

Baijal explained that Hillside has become a name that dedicated fans swear by.

“People nowadays are buying tickets without knowing who’s playing. Now it’s become almost a brand,” he added.

Like CEMF, Hillside attracts over 5,000 people per day and offers a wide variety of activities besides musical performances, such as spoken word acts and drum circles.

Baijal explained that tickets have not been available at the door since 2004; however, daily tickets may still be available online this week.

Check out performances by:

Xavier Rudd – Friday, July 24 @ 7:45 p.m. on the main stage

Hey Rosetta! – Saturday, July 26 @ 7 p.m. on the island stage

David Bidini – Sunday, July 26 @ 3 p.m. on the lake stage

Arkells – Saturday, July 25
To read an interview with Dan Griffin from Arkells, click here.

Great Lake Swimmers – Sunday, July 26 @ 7 p.m. on the main stage

Ambre McLean – Sunday, July 26 @ 8 p.m. on the lake stage

Final Fantasy – Sunday, July 26 @ 9 p.m. on the main stage