- List of Canadian Blues festivals and venues
Canadian blues festivals and venues range from small, community-based festivals that feature mostly local performers to major corporate-sponsored festivals that draw nationally- and internationally-prominent blues bands and huge crowds. Some of the large festivals include the
Ottawa Bluesfest , the [http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com /Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues] Festival in New Brunswick and theEdmonton's Labatt Blues Festival . These festivals, which are usually organized by volunteer-based blues societies, are an important part of theCanadian blues scene. [http://www.thebluesfest.ca Windsor/London Blues Festival International] produces two shows on the third weekend of July in both Windsor and London Ontario. The premiere event was in downtown Windsor in 1995 and the London festival was added 6 years later. This years festival saw record attendance in both venues.In addition to blues festivals, Canadian blues bands also appear at a range of other venues, including bars, taverns, lounges, and community centre concert series'. Only a small number of these venues specialize in blues music; in most cases, venues will have a "blues night" or an occasional blues series. Some of the best-known blues venues in Toronto are Healey's (named for former owner, the late
Jeff Healey ) and The Silver Dollar Room. Other well-known Canadian blues venues include Café Campus inMontreal , Blues at the Bow Live inAlberta , Blues On Whyte in Edmonton, The Shamrock Hotel in Calgary, and The Yale inVancouver .Blues Festivals
Canadian blues festivals include:
Ontario
* Atomic Blues Fest - Lindsay, Ontario
* [http://www.kitchenerbluesfestival.com Kitchener Blues Festival] - Kitchener, Ontario
* [http://www.burlingtonjazzbluesfestival.com Burlington Jazz & Blues Festival] - July in Burlington, Ontario
* [http://www.canalbankshuffle.com Canal Bank Shuffle] - October, Thorold, Ontario
* [http://www.coalflatsblues.com Coal Flats Blues Festival] - September in Port Burwell, Ontario
* [http://www.escarpmentblues.ca Escarpment Blues Festival] - Mid July inMilton, Ontario
* House Full Of Blues Festival - North Bay, Ontario
* [http://www.kingstonblues.com Limestone City Blues Festival] - late August in Kingston, Ontario
* Mudcat Blues Fest - August, Dunnville, Ontario
* [http://www.orangevillebluesandjazz.ca Orangeville Blues and Jazz Festival - 1st weekend of June in Orangeville, Ontario
* [http://www.orilliaspringblues.com Orillia Spring Blues Festival]
*Ottawa Bluesfest - held every July in Ottawa, Ontario
* [http://www.oshawajazzandbluesfestival.com Oshawa Jazz and Blues Festival] - August in Oshawa, Ontario
* Porquis Blues Festival - Porquis, Ontario
* Port Credit Blues and Jazz Festival (also called the [http://www.southsideshuffle.com "Southside Shuffle"] ), Port Credit, Ontario
* Stratford Jazz and Blues Festival - April
* [http://www.tbayblues.ca Thunder Bay Blues Festival] - July in Thunder Bay
* [http://www.twistedpines.com Twisted Pines Blues Festival] - May in the Midland/Penetanguishene area
* [http://www.thebluesfest.ca Windsor/London Blues Festival International] - July in Windsor and LondonBritish Columbia
* Hornby Island Blues Workshop - May in
British Columbia
* "Summertime Blues 2008! " - August 15 to 24 in Nanaimo
* [Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival - August in British Columbia's interior] http://www.rootsandblues.ca/East Coast
* [http://www.harvestjazzandblues.com Fredericton Harvest Jazz and Blues] ,
New Brunswick .
* [http://www.saintjohnjazzandblues.com BMO Nesbitt Burns Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival] , New Brunswick.
* [http://dutchmason.com/festival.html Dutch Mason Blues Festival] ,Nova Scotia .Other Regions
* [http://www.festiblues.com FestiBlues International du Montreal]
* [http://ww1.tremblant.ca/blues/en/index.asp International Blues Festival of Tremblant] - July in Mont-Tremblant,Quebec
* [http://www.greatwoodspark.com/Festival-greatwoods/index.htm Great Woods Music Festival] - August in Beausejour,Manitoba
*Edmonton's Labatt Blues Festival - August inEdmonton , Alberta
* [http://www.calgarybluesfest.com - Calgary International Blues Festival in AugustOther Blues Venues
In addition to blues festivals, Canadian blues bands also appear at a range of other venues, including bars, taverns, lounges, and community centre concert series'. Only a small number of these venues specialize in blues music; in most cases, venues will have a "blues night" or an occasional blues series.
Eastern Canada
Bearly's - Halifax, Nova Scotia;Fat Tuesday’s Pub -
Moncton , NB; Your Father’s Mustache - Halifax, NS;The Tantramarsh Blues Society (www.mta.ca/tbs) presents blues at George's Roadhouse in Sackville, New Brunswick.Ontario
Readers Cafe - Dunnville;The Musicians' Ball (held in January)- Hamilton;Live at City Hall - Stratford;Healey's - (Jeff Healey's club) in
Toronto ;The Silver Dollar Room - Toronto's blues club;Whistler's - Toronto club offering live blues on Tuesdays; Lil' House of Blues - Whitby;The Rainbow Bistro -Ottawa ;Tango Coffee Bistro - Stratford;Tulky's Sports Bar and Grill - St. Catharines/Welland; Tucson's - Ottawa;Harwood Blues Cafe - Ajax;Fitzy's Crab Shack - Barrie;Blues on the East Side, Cambridge;Boomers 96, Hamilton;Peter's Place - Innisfil;Brandee’s Restaurant, Kingston;Bourbon St. Lounge, Kitchener;100 Georges, North Bay;Attic Lounge, Oshawa;The Dukes Hotel - Port Colborne;Harp (The)- Port Credit;Capitol Theatre, Port Hope; Alleycatz, Toronto;Appleby's, Toronto;Big Bop (The Reverb Room), Toronto;Big Daddy’s, Toronto;Blues on Bellair, Toronto;Cadillac Lounge, Toronto;C'est What - Toronto; Chicago’s (contact is Mark Stafford) Toronto;Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto;Happy Hog Roadhouse - Tottenham;Aardvark Blues Cafe, WindsorQuebec
Church Street Cafe, Cookshire;Cafe Campus, Montreal;Yellow Door, Montreal; Bistro À JoJo, Montreal;Club d’Autiel,
Quebec City Western and Northern Canada
Blues at the Bow Live - Alberta;Blues On Whyte, Edmonton, AB;The Yardbird Suite, Edmonton, AB;The Shamrock Hotel,
Calgary , AB;The Red Onion, Calgary, AB;The Drake Hotel, Canmore, AB; Blue Grotto,Kamloops , BC; Buds On Broadway,Saskatoon , SK;Sasktel Saskatchewan Jazz Fest , SK; The Yale - Vancouver, BC;The Fairview - Blues On Broadway - Vancouver, BC;Northern Arts and Cultural Centre -Yellowknife , NT;Greatwoods Music Festival, Beausejour, MB;The Shamrock Hotel, Calgary, AB
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