Feel the beats: Rotaryfest to add third stage for electronic dance music

What's new at Rotaryfest?

The Sault's summer festival is set to return this month with a new parade route (to avoid construction) but also with a new third stage offering free music, organizers say.

"Stage 3: Wild Beats" will be the place to be for electronic dance music (EDM) on Friday, July 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Downtown Plaza.

Whether it's music, children's crafts or the ever-popular Ribfest, the three-day event July 18 to 20 seems to have something for everyone.

Find more details in the following news release:

Rotaryfest, the Sault’s Summer Festival is back for three days of music, food, and fun at Clergue Park. The festival, July 18 to 20, will feature children’s crafts and activities, free music stages, the Rotary Community Day Parade, and everyone’s favourite – Ribfest!

The Rotary Community Day Parade presented by Evolugen will run westward on Bay Street from Pim Street to Gore Street to safely avoid construction during the Queen Street reconstruction project.

The Miracle Mile Colour Blast presented by YNCU will run ahead of the parade on Bay Street from the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre to GFL Memorial Gardens in support of Rotary youth projects.

New this year, for the first time, Rotaryfest is introducing a third free music stage. “Stage 3: Wild Beats” will offer EDM (electronic dance music) on Friday, July 19 from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Downtown Plaza.

"After the success of the EDM Sno Bath at Bon Soo for the last two years, all the local DJs agreed that we need to get more people dancing in this city," said Matt Langdon (stage name “Bobby Lawn”), Stage Director for Stage 3. "We reached out to Rotaryfest, and they got on board with our enthusiasm. I've been DJing for 30 years with decades of dancing experience. We picked some of the young up-and-coming DJs to rock the stage alongside me. The plaza will be decked out in a jungle theme so come down for some Wild Beats, friendly vibes and fancy footwork. See you on the dance floor, future friends!"

The Stage 3 lineup will include Bobby Lawn, Hippie Business, and Flummoxx.

Beside the Art Gallery of Algoma, SooToday Stage Two is back with local and greater-Great-Lakes-Area talent. Don’t miss the Seth Brown Duo, travelling in from Iron Mountain, Michigan on their summer tour.

Here’s the full lineup for SooToday Stage Two:

Friday Night Blues presented by The Sault Blues Society:
4:30 p.m. – The Eight Seventies
5:30 p.m. – All the Tired Horses
6:30 p.m. – The Associates
7:30 p.m. – That There Blues Band
8:30 p.m. – Mudfoot Mike and the Muckrakers

Saturday, July 20:
1:30 p.m. – HeadFirst
2:30 p.m. – Miss Madii
3:30 p.m. – Brandon Ruch
4 p.m. – Juliana Regan
4:30 p.m. – Jacob Valois Group
5:30 p.m. – The Gambit
6:30 p.m. – Hollow Heads
7:30 p.m. – Seth Brown Duo
8:30 p.m. – Golden Scoundrels

Other festival events back by popular demand include Algoma Steel Buskerville, Gable Bros Midway, Algoma Makers Market, and recurring favourites like Stage 1 presented by OLG, the Northern Dental Care Inflatable Park, Wheels on the Water Car Show, Soo Mill Mini Putt for Prizes, and the Tenaris PlayZone.

To find out more about what’s happening at Rotaryfest, visit www.rotaryfest.com.