A review of Sackville festivals that keep the community active year-round!
Were you left wondering why Sackville was so busy this weekend? Read on to not miss out on any more of Sackville’s festivals! Happening in the Brunton Auditorium this Saturday, September 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 28 at 2:00 p.m, is the Sackville Festival of Early Music. According to Mt. A. music student Gigi Smith, “it’s the first big concert series that we get in every year so it’s always kind of exciting.” The performances offer an opportunity to relive the music of the past, as Gigi explains, “we get to see a lot of instruments we don’t normally get in concerts because at that time period they had different instruments that were available.” Tickets can be purchased on the festival website and are free for students.
Every year, during a weekend in late October, approximately twenty local artists welcome visitors to their studio during the annual Art Across the Marsh. The event offers an opportunity to see a variety of creative processes and works in progress. A portion of these artists may be selling their work alongside other food and merchandise vendors during Moonlight Madness, otherwise known as “Sackville’s Holiday shopping event of the year,” according to the town of Sackville website. Moonlight Madness is a festival where the streets are lit up and stores stay open until 9:00 p.m. The evening festival takes place on a Friday in mid-November and early December. The overall atmosphere is festive and cheery, but bundle up! To celebrate all things cold and wintery, Sackville starts every calendar year with Sackville WinterFest. According to last year’s program, in early February, Sackville celebrates the season with food, pickleball, skating, guided hikes, live music, winter-themed creations, and a snow sculpture contest.
As spring approaches, over forty local visual artists showcase their work in the Bordertown Art Fair. This event, hosted in early May, includes workshops, classes, and demonstrations where visitors can learn how to make their own art! Bordertown is a wonderful opportunity to decorate your homes while supporting local artists and makers.
As Sackville transitions to summer, the community welcomes the Festival by the Marsh! This multidisciplinary arts festival features theatre performances, live readings, and children’s workshops and theatre camps. This summer, many Mt. A and Argosy alumni participated in the festival. Recent Mt. A. graduate, Maika Branch, ran a creative writing workshop aimed at developing the writing skills of youth in Sackville. The 2025 Summer Theatre Intensive presented an original piece by Eva Lucas titled Bands of a Feather Rock Together. Finally, Sarah Tardif performed in a play called Beyond the Pages as part of Panopticonned Theatre, a newly formed local theatre troupe.
Over the midsummer long weekend, Bridge Street was closed between RBC and the Salvation Army to make way for the highly anticipated Sappyfest. This year, the festival hosted over fifty artists to perform and present their work, including a puppet parade facilitated by North Barn Theater, an artist talk by Alan Syliboy, an interactive sound sculpture, a literary event called Universal Dawn, and musicians like TEKE::TEKE, Jah’mila, and Julie Doiron. According to Fine Arts student Ava Livesey, “Sappyfest is like the essence of Sackville and all the coolest, creative people come together and celebrate for a weekend, and I think it’s just such a wholesome and lovely festival.” Ava was one many Mt. A. students and community members who volunteered during the Sappyfest weekend. In exchange for volunteering, students such as Ava receive a free ticket for each day they volunteer. According to Sappyfest Production Assistant and recent Mt. A. graduate, Freddy Hyun Smith, “it was a very successful year” and “one festival goer’s feedback was that it was a magical year, and I would agree with that.” Sappyfest has an internship for Mt. A. students, which can be found through Mt. A. Experiential Learning, and is an excellent opportunity for young community members to contribute in a significant way.
As Sackville transitioned to fall, the festival scene transitioned along with it! This year marked Sackville’s 23rd annual Fall Fair, which featured five days of events and entertainment designed for all ages. Events included two parades, “TILT”, a performance at Marshlight Theatre, fireworks, the Main Street mile, carnival rides, music, and much more.
The festivals included in this article make up only a small portion of the events happening on a regular basis in Sackville. Get inspired by past community and Mt. A. students and sign-up to volunteer! Keep your eye out for posters and social media events for more activities to attend and take part in.