With hundreds of people in River Mill Park – more than 1500 of them throughout the afternoon – raising their glasses to sample craft brews, the inaugural Muskoka 2/4 Craft Beer Festival can be counted as a huge success. Ten local bands rocked both the new bandshell in the park, which officially opened earlier in the day, and the smaller Pipefusion stage. There was a magician, games, great local food from five local vendors, and, of course, beer and cider from 11 different breweries. Check out our photo gallery of the fun below.
(Clockwise from above left) Crowds started to gather almost as soon as the gates opened; Sawdust City Brewing Company was one of eleven craft breweries and cider houses selling samples; a magician entertained the crowds; Paul Lagendyk and Sean Cotton rock the bandshell stage; ticket sales were brisk, and that’s not including the more than 400 people who bought them in advance. (Photos: Dawn Huddlestone)
(Clockwise from above left) Laganza played some of their crowd-pleasing hits; Rose Evans and Roberta Alexander enjoyed the sunshine and the brews; festival goers went home with a 5 oz. commemorative mug; Emily Britton and Kate Aben shared some poutine from a local vendor; MP Tony Clement and Adam Fisher (on drums) sang Hit the Road Jack, among other tunes; Liz Rice tried her hand at a Plinko fundraiser for The Table Soup Kitchen (she lost). (Photos: Liz Rice)
By mid-afternoon, the park was full and everyone was having a great time
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It was special to have Laganza play with Tobin, Jamie, Derek and Brian: It’s been a while since I heard them all together, and they sounded great.
A small note on logistics: Although the Plinko game was a great success, its location (adjacent to the Pipefusion stage), and the noise it engendered was unfair to the performers at that venue.
Please folks, have your beer, dance the day away and all that good stuff but have the respect to call the holiday what it actually is and thus the respect to whom it is named. One of the most important monarchs in British (and since for a lot of her reign Canada was a colony) Canadian history. Queen Victoria.
It is VICTORIA DAY!! Don’t lower your standards by subscribing to the “2-4 weekend” description, a name only Homer Simpson could really appreciate!
Damn, that Pipe And Drum Band was great. Super Day with Super Sounds!