Rebuilding the local town festival back to normal after the pandemic
In the first week of August, Bridge Street was closed, food vendors lined the streets, and distant chatter and music could be heard throughout the town of Sackville. Welcome to Sappyfest, Sackville’s local arts and culture festival, which returned this past summer for its anniversary of two decades.
Since 2006, the event has been organised by Sappyfest Inc., with the community of Tantramar pitching in by volunteering their time and offering their spaces, such as venues or a billet to house an artist. Sappyfest 20 ran from August 1-3, and this year marked the first year since the pandemic that the festival was able to truly feel complete, as lively crowds filled both the streets and the performance tents. People traveled from near and far to see the impressive line up of artists, including Mas Aya, Caged Animals, and many more musicians from around the Maritimes and further.
In its beginnings, Sappyfest started as a small, late night band shows that escalated in popularity as more and more bands were recruited to perform from as far as Ontario! Sappyfest was promoted as a way to celebrate the Canadian music industry in Sackville, and give artists a way to display their works. In 2006, when music streaming got popular, it was a great opportunity for people to see their favourite musicians live in an accessible and intimate space. The shows expanded to the multidisciplinary arts, including readings from renowned academic and feminist activist Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Canadian writer Sean Michaels, among many other incredible literary and visual artists over the years.
This year’s crowd was amongst the biggest that the event has been since 2022, when Sappyfest first started back up again after the pandemic. Rebuilding has been a long process for those involved in the meticulous planning and organisation. While the past few Sappyfests were successes in their own rights, they were smaller after COVID, so this year was the apex of all their hard work to rebuild. According to Sappyfest Head of Operations, Steve Lambke, gathering so many people and “hitting the targets” of the festival was a success. Between the pandemic and rapid changes within the music and arts industries, it was imperative that Sappyfest would return to support and provide performance opportunities for local artists. As Lambke said in an interview, Sappyfest “isn’t trying to be the biggest festival in the world”. The goal was “nurturing, supporting, and engaging with our community.” Despite the typical administrative and organizational hiccups, said Lambke, the event ran as smoothly as it could, and it was all thanks to the many town volunteers that put their time and effort into restoring and rebranding the festival. Other than a few paid positions, Sappyfest is an entirely volunteer-run event, exemplifying the dedication of the community of Sackville and the greater Tantramar area!
Now having operated for 20 years, Sappyfest has seen the arts industries shift greatly over time as the culture of arts has become more competitive and accessible. It has proven that the economy and rise of the internet affects young and upcoming artists and has changed the way art is distributed and marketed. It became difficult to know if the show of Sappyfest would go on. With the dedicated work from volunteers and the many contributions of the town, Sappyfest continues to support Canadian artists and musicians by offering a wonderful space for them to perform and display their art. For the second decade, Sappyfest brought Sackville to life with music, art, and a celebration of a united community.