Now in its ninth year, demand for the Woodstove Music and Arts Festival seemingly hit new highs, with organizers saying that the initial round of tickets sold out almost immediately. The non profit community festival took place last weekend across 16 venues in the village ranging from community halls, to the museum, to tattoo parlours and hair salons.

In recent years, many summer festivals have faced challenges. 

Earlier this year it was reported that the Regina Folk Festival had permanently shut down due to financial struggles, and that the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival faced an uncertain future, with this year’s edition potentially being the last. For the first time in 30 years, there was no Vancouver Island MusicFest, with organizers citing economic challenges like decreasing sponsorships, a lack of local funding, and reduced ticket sales. Those are just some examples of a nationwide trend that’s been reported on by the CBC, The Globe and Mail and others.

Midcoast Morning attended this year’s Woodstove and spoke with artists and organizers to try and understand what has allowed the festival to seemingly thrive amidst a climate of wider economic challenges for arts festivals.

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Podcast Cover Photo: Cat Clyde (Joe Pugh/CHLY 101.7FM)