We have put the new program for 2013 on the website. Please check under the Program tab. For those new to our festival, the afternoons are free. Enjoy.
I listened carefully to many people in deciding what to put in the program. This process is part of the Ottawa Grassroots Festival mandate, where everyone gets a say in how our festival is managed. What I heard was a wish for more days, more venues, more great artists, more workshops, more kid stuff and more fun. It’s never possible to please everyone, but I can say we will make those wishes come true and we are all going to have fun, both our volunteers and our audience.
I want to thank three groups of people. First I want to thank the very generous sponsors that make the festival happen. Without sponsors, it would be an entirely different festival. They make all the free daytime programming possible. Having afternoons free means that young families can afford to attend, kids can have fun and the place comes alive. The sharing of our festival with the community is another part of our mandate. Secondly, I want to thank all the artists who are participating in the festival. There are about 120 to 150 of you and I am humbled in the way you were all so agreeable to performing. Thirdly, I want to thank all the volunteers who are and will be working on the festival. It is you men and women who really make this happen. For the record, everyone who works on the festival is a volunteer. I doubt if the general public can really grasp the amount of effort that goes into putting on a festival like ours, but I know and appreciate every thing you do and I want to thank you. You are a joy to work with.
Now go check the festival programming and make plans to attend!
Bob