Everything you need to know about Springtide 2022

Time to plan your festival weekend!We are less than one week away from Springtide 2022 and here’s everything you need to know about this year’s festival!

Springtide runs Thursday, July 21 – Saturday, July 23 with multiple venues and stages across Downtown Uxbridge. Kids 12 and under accompanied by an adult can enjoy the festival for free, on Friday and Saturday.

 
THURSDAY JULY 21
Springtide Launch Party

We will be kicking off our festival with a launch party concert at the Uxbridge Music Hall. A historic music venue in our town with killer headliner Bedouin Soundclash. The Launch Party will also feature performances by Julian Taylor and local Artist Tania Joy. This is a stand alone event meaning you will need a separate ticket from your weekend wristbands to attend. There are still a limited number of tickets available, which can be purchased through our website!

 
FRIDAY JULY 22
Specialty Stages

Along with over 70 awesome musical performances, Springtide is excited to share a few specialty stages curated for maximum enjoyment! On Friday July 22nd from 5pm-7pm we will have our Let’s Write a Song workshop, hosted by Bernadette Connors at The Bridge Social. This is a free interactive songwriting workshop for those of all ages and all song writing abilities and experience! 

NEW to this year’s program, the Author’s Stage hosted by Blue Heron Books in their back studio – feat. Author Michael Barclay and his book “Hearts on Fire: Six Years That Changed The Canadian Music Scene” from 6pm-8pm on Friday July 22. hosted by former MuchMusic man Tim Deegan⁠. 

There will be supper, compliments of the Tin Restaurant⁠, songs by Geoff Holt⁠, and drinks available at a cash bar!
⁠
Tickets are $25 and include all of the above PLUS a $10 book coupon. If you have a Springtide wristband, tickets are a steal, at $20! Pick up your ticket at Blue Heron Books!

 

 
SATURDAY, JULY 23:
Specialty Stages

You can start your Saturday morning early with us outdoors at Banjo Cider located at 614 Sanford Rd. for Yoga Tune-Up with Jennifer Bradley of Sun Dog Yoga and Alannah Kemp of Inner Environmentalism. This session starts at 10am and is included with a Saturday Wristband which can be purchased on site at Banjo Cider Saturday morning.

Saturday, afternoon, will be the Interview Stage curated by Tamara Williamson at The Bridge Social. At 3pm we will have the Fire Songs session, a conversation all about community with Hollowsage, Allanah Kemp and Kevin Ker, hosted by Josh Veens. At 4pm, the Up Close And Too Personal session hosted by experienced host, Blair Packham. This session delves into the lives of our guests; including Gravley James and Joel Saunders, and Emily Rockarts. And at 5pm the One Song session, hosted by Tamara Williamson, where artists, Suitcase Sam, Stephen Stanley and Rebekah Hawker have chosen a favourite song that they have written and will dive into the process of writing it, their inspiration, and the story behind the lyrics. This event is open to all those with a festival wristband.

Let’s not forget the Youth Stage hosted by Uxbridge’s own Amy Peck! The 2022 Springtide Youth Stage will include performances by 6 solo acts as well as a special performance by Youth Stage alumni Nate Hobor. You won’t believe the talent, mad skills, and musicianship that these performers will bring to the Youth Stage.

These young shining stars will be performing at the Uxbridge Legion on Saturday July 22nd from 2pm to 5pm. Entry is free with a Saturday wristband or $10 at the door. 

 

 
Centennial Park Outdoor Stage

Our Outdoor Main Stage has moved! Due to the damaging storm at the end of May and the temporary closing of our beloved Second Wedge Brewing Co., we needed to find a new location for Outdoor Main Stage. Luckily here in Uxbridge, the Trail Capital Of Canada, we were able to secure another beautiful green space to call home for the 2022 festival. Our Outdoor Main Stage will be in Centennial Park, at the bottom of Poplar Street, behind the Township of Uxbridge Building! Centennial Park is surrounded by mature trees and linked in with the Uxbridge trail system. We are excited to share one of our most beloved assets with our guests, along with a fantastic lineup!

Festival Trolley

If you’re from Uxbridge, you’ve likely seen the antique Town Trolley driving around town for special occasions and events! On Friday evening and Saturday evening from 7pm to Midnight the trolley will maintain a continuous loop around the downtown core, to make venues accessible for folks to catch all the music they want in a timely fashion for all who want to ‘hop on’ and ‘hop off’. This unique shuttle experience is the perfect way to get you around town so you can catch all your favorite acts! Watch for the Trolley Signs along the festival route! Thank you to Williamson’s Uxbridge Automotive for Sponsoring the Festival Trolley.

 

Where To Find The Springtide Festival Schedule

So you’ve got your Springtide wristband and Launch Party tickets, now what? Well, head over to our website to find our full festival schedule. Plan out the artists that you don’t want to miss and then, enjoy the music! We also have a selection of FREE pop up acoustic performances that will be happening around the downtown. In the coming days we will release a full list of our acoustic pop-up performances where you can catch some of your favourite artists completely unplugged.

 

Ticket Locations

This year, there are several locations where you can purchase tickets, and exchange for your wristbands.

The Uxbridge Music Hall located at 16 Main St. South will have the box office open on Tuesday July 19th and Wednesday July 20th from Noon to 6pm for pre-festival sales. As well as Thursday, Friday and Saturday from Noon until close.

The Ticket Hub at H. Bee Architecture, 88 Brock St. West. The Ticket Hub will be open during festival hours starting at Noon on Friday and 9am on the Saturday.

Tickets will also be available at the Uxbridge Tourism Trailer located on site at Centennial Park to purchase and exchange wristbands.

Finally, the Uxbridge Legion located at 109 Franklin Street will be open for ticketing during festival hours. Friday 7pm to close, Saturday 1pm to close. Also note that Youth Stage Tickets will be $10, available at the door, or included with your Saturday wristband.

Author’s Stage, Supper, Stories Sips and Songs, Tickets can be purchased online or in store through Blue Heron Books 62 Brock St. West. 

The Countdown Is On!
Now, if you haven’t already, mark your calendars and start your countdown! We hope you are just as excited as we are. Our COVID hiatus has certainly built up the suspense for our 2022 come back! Keep an eye on our social media pages for some Springtide 101s to help you enjoy and experience the festival to its fullest!

 

We acknowledge the financial support of FACTOR and the Government of Canada

Slowcity.ca 5 faves at Springtide, Uxbridge

July 3, 2022

By Will McGuirk

After the recent tornado destroyed a good chunk of Uxbridge, including the community hub, the Second Wedge Brewery, it was to the community itself to which those hit by nature’s wrath turned. It was local resilience against the global winds of climate change which has enabled the town to recover albeit slowly. We Shall Overcome could be the town’s motto, built as it is on its Quaker heritage and artists in residence present. It is a town full of makers, those who make things and those who make things better.

So after, not just two years of a pandemic and those associated shutdowns, but also the unexpected swirl of chaos which struck the town on Saturday May 21, the community of Uxbridge will be out in force for the we made it joys of Springtide Festival on July 21, 22, and 23.

There are several nationally known acts performing but the three day bill is heavier with local acts. Here are five for sure do not miss them acts:

Speaking of local resilience these Band of Weeds continue to pop-up around the town as the roots are strong and deep in this gathering of friends, which it would be fair to call a supergroup of Uxbridge musicians. Alannah Kemp as lead vocal, keys/guitar, Michael Hamilton (of M. H. Vernon) on bass/backup vocals, Thom Harvey (of STRNGR STRNGR) on lead guitar, Amy Peck (of Professors of Funk) on saxophone and Matt Gunn (of EightFiveTwo) on drums!

Geoff Holt is another local stalwart, a galvanizing force in the town. He has a couple of solo albums available. He also has Orangabang and Pawns on his resume but for me its his Musical Bingo nights which showcase his enthusiastic love of music and of community building.

Hollowsage is a transplant whose roots music have taken hold in Uxbridge. He is originally from the Soo but came south. There’s a darkness in his songs but also a deep humanity and empathy. Solo or with his band the Three Mile Islanders the songs of Hollowsage present truth as beauty but equally as beastly, and his music serves as a salve, his set at Springtide will no doubt be a tearful celebration.

Rory Taillon has gone north to Ottawa but his connection to the community along Reach Road is as strong as ever. He is returning to the spiritual home for Springtide but as has been written by some (ahem) the voice of Rory is such a force Uxbridge council could capitalize and weaponize his voice to be used against any future tornados.

Nerima are not of the Trail Capital but they are trekking to the town from the other side of the Oak Ridge. These young folks are of Whitby and Oshawa but their camaraderie and companionship would not be out of place. They are a band of seeds for a new generation of Springtide, one with civic pride at its core, but room to grow and gather.

Like music, community only gets stronger as it becomes more inclusive. Inclusivity is the secret to resiliency, a resiliency to ward off all manner of circumstances. 

Alysha Brilla headlines The Second Wedge Brewing Co. outdoor mainstage

We’ve been holding our collective breath, waiting for this moment to share our Saturday headliner news with you…and now that moment is finally here!

*group exhale* 

It’s our great pleasure to announce that three-time Juno nominated artist Alysha Brilla will be headlining the outdoor stage at The Second Wedge Brewery right here in downtown Uxbridge. Alysha Brilla will bring her upbeat rhythmic vibes complete with 6-piece band to the mainstage lineup on Saturday, July 23rd.

Brilla’s unique global roots x folk fusion is inspired by growing up with parents from two different cultural and religious backgrounds; a Muslim Indo-Tanzanian father and a Christian Irish/Scottish Canadian mother. Alysha’s music connects rhythmic sounds with esoteric lyricism; transporting listeners to a place suspended between the earth and the stars.

Raised in Brampton, Ontario, Brilla’s rocky youth and intersecting cultural influences encouraged the birds eye view, non-linear philosophies that inform her artistry and teachings.

At 19, Brilla was signed to a major record deal, but felt limited by the sexism and boxes places around her in the industry. After a string of heartbreak and disappointment at the hands of the industry, Brilla moved back to Canada from L.A. and began producing and releasing her music completely independently. What followed was one of the most successful indie artist careers to come out of Canada.

Thanks to a growing collective of music fans worldwide, Brilla regularly tours internationally including across Australia, Singapore, Tanzania and Chile. In addition to live performances of music, Brilla has conducted creative wellness workshops in schools for the past ten years; promoting storytelling through music and mentoring in self-expression through the arts with a focus on developing skills in songwriting and music production.
​
Alysha Brilla is currently recording her fifth full length album, “Circle” to be released independently Summer 2022.

Saturday’s lineup at The Second Wedge Brewery will be supported by a rockin’ collection of Canadian talent from Toronto’s Skye Wallace, Ottawa’s Jeremy Fisher, Uxbridge local favourite Matt Gunn and more.

As always, the outdoor mainstage is just a taste of what’s in store at Springtide! Downtown shops, cafés, and restaurants, will once again transform into venues buzzing with some of the most incredible musical acts from near and far, covering genres including indie, folk, alternative, country, rock, and more!

Make sure you get your tickets (if you haven’t already) to be a part of this year’s excitement! Festival wristbands give first come, first served access to all the shows. And for those of you who have held on to your tickets from 2020, a reminder that they will be honoured. 

Thanks to your support, and our stellar volunteer team (who may or may not possess super powers), we’re grateful to be gearing up for an outstanding celebration! Watch for many more announcements to come.