Kiwanis Music Festival returns after COVID hiatus
By Mark Squibb/March 17, 2023
If you grew up in Conception Bay North, chances are you’ve participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival, or cheered a loved one on during the competitive Rose Bowl concert.
This March marks not only the return of the beloved music festival following the COVID-19 pandemic, but a milestone in the festival’s storied history, as this year’s festival marks the 50th such festival.
The Kiwanis Club of Carbonear held its first music festival in 1970, meaning that 2020 would actually have marked the 50th anniversary of the festival.
“We had some plans made at that time to do some wonderful celebrations, but a week before the festival started, COVID closed it all down,” said Kiwanis Club President Rob Button. “Therefore, we couldn’t enjoy the celebrations, or the festivals, in 2020.”
Button said the Club is calling this year’s festival the 50th Festival celebration, as opposed to the 50th Anniversary.
The celebrations will be more pared back than they likely would have been in 2020, as the festival itself has seen a reduction of participants due to the fallout from the pandemic.
At the height of the festival’s popularity, the Kiwanis Club would field about 700 entries. For this year’s festival, the Club has received about 250.
“Our main focus this year was to ensure that the festival went forward, and that it continues to go forward for another 50 years,” said Button. “We have been working diligently to get a festival off the ground, and it looks like Sunday, March 19, we will start our festival.”
He said the adjudicators have noted the disadvantage participants now face having missed out on three years worth of music festivals due to the pandemic.
“Students have not had the ability to perform, and sometimes that will be a deterrent to them trying to get into musical schools and doing auditions for music schools, because they’ve not had that experience,” explained Button.
Over the years, he noted, students who have participated in the festival have gone on to become music teachers who in turn encourage their students to participate, and that growth has helped the festival stay strong over the years.
This year’s festival, as in years past, is open to the public.
Beginning on Sunday, performances will be held at various venues across town, culminating in two weekend concerts at the Princess Shelia NaGeria Theatre, during which the club will hand out about $11,000 in scholarships and awards.
About eight schools, comprising four bands, 18 choirs, fiddle groups, recorder groups, theatre arts groups, dozens of soloists, and more, will participate, along with three adult community choirs.
The inclusion of the adult choirs is a practise that started shortly before COVID, and adults are adjudicated in the same manner that students are.
Button added he hopes that following this year’s festival, more students will become involved, and that next year the numbers will creep closer to those of previous years.
Outside of the Music Festival, the Kiwanis Club hosts an annual golf tournament to raise funds for local breakfast programs.