Kingston locals embraced the Skeleton Park Arts Festival (SPAF) with open arms, despite the inclement weather.
Founded in 2008, SPAF is a free, multi-disciplinary festival that transforms McBurney Park (Skeleton Park) each weekend on June 22 and 23 through its morning yoga, local food vendors, and heartily performances by artists from all over the world celebrating the Cataraqui and Kingston community. The family-friendly festival saw children and adults enjoying the day’s festivities under the pouring rain with folks able to both dance to the music or enjoy it from the comfort of their chairs and picnic blankets.
Saturday evening headliners, Undertow Brass Band brought an electric energy with their performance. Often dispersing into the crowd while playing their instruments, Undertow encouraged audience participation and crowd engagement.
The band came from Rhode Island, U.S.A. and brought a not-seen-before high energy to Kingston, full of infectious happiness. They performed on the grass in front of the stage, inviting the audience to be one with the band.
“I am most excited for the music,” an enthusiastic festival attendee said, “I really enjoy that aspect of the festival,” This sentiment seems to capture the essence of the attendees, who were eagerly singing, smiling, and whirling to the music. Another festivalgoer described making an effort to attend SPAF every year. They described their enthusiasm for Saturday morning’s square dancing which occurs at the main stage. The Kingston community’s appreciation for arts and music enriched the festival and made the weekend incredibly memorable for performers and audience alike. The crowd was full of individuals, families, and couples, dancing freely, and frequently barefoot in the mud.
Everybody was seemingly unfazed by the rain that fell progressively harder over the course of Saturday night.
Saturday’s final show featured the highly anticipated JUNO award-winning band, Kobo Town. Despite pouring rain and a thunderstorm evacuation that shortened their set, Kobo Town’s innovative calypso sound had the entire crowd dancing. Audience , undeterred by the weather, started a spontaneous conga line that included most of the attendees.
This was Kobo Town’s third time at SPAF and had one of its earliest performances in Queen’s University’s own Grad Club. Band member and singer-songwriter Drew Gonsalves was excited to be returning to Kingston, describing the community as “warm and welcoming” in an interview with The Journal.
Despite the grey day, it was Kingston’s vibrant community which truly made the festival a success.
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