The date was different but 25,203 people flocked to the 32nd Annual ROOTSandBLUES Festival.
Satisfaction flowed from patrons, performers, organizers, police and more over the three-day event on the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds.
Kimm Magill-Hofmann, chairperson of the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society that hosts the festival, said Monday morning, July 30, that she was pleased overall with the experience, particularly as the festival was a month earlier than usual.
“It has been a challenging year, but we’re looking forward and we are all so proud of staff for their hard work and dedication over the past two years,” she said. “Due to the cancellation last year, they didn’t get the reward of seeing the festival, and they persevered to produce another world-class event.’
Magill-Hofmann pointed out the Indigenous Pulk’w Stage and fun Whimsy attractions were a great draw among the many families with young children.
“We do endeavour to be family friendly; it’s important for families to feel welcome and safe,” she said, offering praise for the private security staff. “You knew they were there, but they weren’t in your face. They were always polite and respectful, but doing what they were hired to do.”
Magill-Hofmann was relieved that allowing patrons to take their alcoholic beverages out of the beer gardens went very well and was glad to see many patrons of all ages sporting ROOTSandBLUES shirts.
While most people she spoke to were happy with the festival, the small number of complaints she heard will be considered and dealt with when members of the board and staff have their post-event review.
“A great crowd and good music,” said RCMP Sgt. Simon Scott.
From a policing perspective, Scott said he was impressed by the well-behaved audiences and supportive of the new liquor policy. He noted that rather than being restricted to the beer garden and pounding down several drinks at a time, patrons were able to sip their drinks over the course of the event.
“We had a few guests that spent the night in our accommodation,” he said, pointing out Salmon Arm RCMP had extra detachment members on strength to cope with the 10,000 swell in population. And the few mostly intoxication issues were out on the street and in the camping area.
Like the thousands hushed in the thrall of Sarah McLachlan’s magical Sunday night performance, Scott said he was impressed by the calm that settled over most of the site and that the well-behaved crowd left in a peaceful state of mind.
Equally impressed, Mayor Alan Harrison said that from a community perspective, ROOTSandBLUES is a celebration of music and culture made possible by the huge community support of more than 600 volunteers, incredible business sponsorship, a dedicated board of directors and professional staff.
“As our city's premiere event, the returns both economically and culturally are enormous,” he said, noting he and his wife, Debbie, buy weekend passes every year and, like many others, enjoy sharing the experience with family and friends. “We always look forward to the eclectic mix of performers from all over the world. So much fun!”
Those words are golden to artistic director Kevin Tobin, who said creating this festival has been a yearlong and complex event following its cancellation due to wildfires in 2023. Tired but grateful, he said he is very happy with the support the festival received.
Numbers were down a bit from 2023, but staff were expecting that, and the numbers swelled with walk-ins eager to see Main Stage headliners, including Amanda Marshall and McLachlan. As always, hometown favourites Five Alarm Funk from Vancouver energized the crowd Saturday night.
“The passion and enthusiasm were all there and the energy, music and vibe the artists brought was outstanding,” said Tobin, noting that some not-so-well-known artists worked with the festival’s Digital Currents program over the winter and were given the opportunity to share their talents with thousands of festival patrons over the week. “The Tuned-Up series was really successful and Is gaining momentum, and Wednesday on the Wharf was very well supported.”
Tobin noted those events and the highly successful Kick-Off Concert have a positive impact on the downtown business community and are equally important because they bring people together for a free taste of the festival. It is, he said, all part of the partnership and embrace the community has shown for the festival.
Committed to retaining much of the festival's historic features, Tobin said staff continue to tweak some things and add others to give patrons the best festival experience possible. He was happy to see that some 2024 innovations such as incorporating yoga at the Shade Stage were well-received. But he said he has also heard, and values, criticisms and suggestions that will be taken into account and addressed.
In the meantime, Tobin said, thoughts are already turning to creating another stellar event in 2025.
