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London Prepares To Feast!


  • By Cory Crossman


ShArE


London Prepares To Feast!

It’s September, but the calendar and weather both think it’s still the middle of summer!  As the summer ends this weekend, we welcome fall and a new festival, Feast Fest.  With experience promoting a number of other festivals across Ontario, this weekend’s Feast Fest aims to appeal to a wide spectrum. LMO has the exclusive story about Feast Fest.

LMO:  So, what is Feast Fest all about?

FF:  The concept came from our interest in food festivals and not pigeon holing ourselves to one food theme.  The event is still evolving but the concept is food and programming for all.  We have as many food options as we can include this year.  Free entertainment and programming that will appeal to all ages.  A Country focus on Friday and Rock focus on Saturday.  Jojo for the younger audience and Honeymoon for the older.  We have specific attraction pieces for kids.  We’re really trying to appeal to as wide as an audience as possible.  For a first year event people can expect a versatile event.

LMO:  You’ve operated the festival in other markets. What brought you to London?

FF:  I’ve always personally had an interest in London with many friends that went to school here. I always enjoyed the vibrancy of London.  It’s a large populous with big city appeal.  We first hosted New Music Fest which started in Barrie.  We were hosting smaller bands where you could get into a number of different venues with one wrist band.  We tried it in London and decided to move to a new model.  We liked London and were happy to bring an event back.  When we stopped doing the festival in London we felt like we didn’t want to stop putting an event on in London.  We’re excited to be back offering a free community event!

LMO:  The past couple of years we’ve seen a number of new exciting festivals come to London.  What can you attribute the success of festivals in London too?

FF:  I don’t have the answer to this but I’ve always been attracted to what London has to offer.  It’s a very multicultural community with a large population so there’s room for many festivals.  It’s a wide drawing city being isolated a bit.  This helps attract people from all across Ontario.  But it really comes down to the population and diverse culture.

LMO:  What immediately sticks out to you about London?  How has the transition into this market been?

FF:  There’s a corporate rule out there… if it works in London it works everywhere.  It’s a Canadian test market and it initially caught our eye.  In our research it seemed there are a lot of long running festivals in London that have stood the test of time.  We thought there must be a reason for that!  Our team has felt very welcomed coming into London.  There’s an embracing feel to the community, certainly with the city, media and sponsors.  The transition has been great so far and the future looks very bright.

LMO:  It’s great seeing local artists as a major focus for your event.  Is this intentional?

FF:  Capturing the right acts is a big part of the challenge.  The first year is always the hardest.  We’ve got a good balance between local, regional and headline acts.  Moving forward we will introduce a second stage.  As we grow throughout the park we look to introduce more artists.  We want to stay true to our theme of being a food, drink and music festival, that’s our slogan.  We will definitely stay true to our background of music.  We’re fusing that background into our event.

LMO:  What do you look for when programming your festival?

FF:  The evening programming is booked first earlier in the year.  We establish the genre and feel.  From there we begin programming more evening artists within that genre.  The afternoon doesn’t have to be directly in line with the headliner.  As music producers, we know country and rock best.  What we know best are those variations of country and rock so it was natural for us to have Jojo Mason and Honeymoon Suite.

LMO:  The festival looks great and we’re excited to have you.  Are you looking to host the event annually in London?

FF:  Absolutely.  Our plans are to include the markets we’ve done this past year. We may even add some more events in other cities next year.  We have a team that has a long term vision and staying power.  

Attendees are encouraged to bring a Non-perishable food item (or cash) to the Admiral Live tent for a chance to win a meet and greet with JoJo Mason or Honeymoon Suite, All donations food or cash, will be given to the Food Bank of London! Feast Fest takes place all weekend in Victoria Park for details visit their website www.feastfest.ca/london

      

Festival Details:

All Ages?:                    Yes
Licensed Event?:        Yes

Tickets:                        Free to attend but you'll need to pay for rides

Local Acts:                 10
Total Acts:                  25
Volunteers:                10

Employees/Staff:      30

Charity/Cause:       London Food Bank



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