Many thanks to Councillor John Taylor (the unofficial ambassador of the Lowville Festival) who  provided tremendous support when this festival was a fledgling concept, and as a result had sold-out shows for Liona Boyd and Second City at the 2017 Festival.

John’s belief in celebrating Lowville as one of the jewels of Burlington, enabled the vision of the Lowville Festival “Festival of the Arts, For the Artist in All of Us” to come to life.    The support of the Lowville residents as volunteers and patrons of the performances from the initial festival weekend in  2015 sets the bar high for each succeeding year. Lowville (established in 1853) is a hamlet enhanced by a spectacular  geological and geographical setting.

Nestled between Mount Nemo and Rattlesnake Point, Bronte Creek runs through its ‘downtown core’, and there are more trees than can be counted. Lowville’s very existence invites people to relax and let nature’s elements work their magic.

The Lowville Festival’s success is due in large part to the volunteers who contributed countless hours to bringing the performances to life. I

In 2017 there were two significant events:
• The ambitious goal of bringing top-name performers to a tent in Lowville Park (both significantly increasing the up-front and non-refundable costs)
• The dramatic last-minute venue changes from the tent (due to heavy spring run-off and significant rainfall), to St. George’s Anglican Church at Guelph Line and Derry Road.

These events were masterfully negotiated by individuals we would like to recognize and thank for their incredible contribution. Their efforts, along with the Founding Sponsors (Burlington Hydro, City of Burlington, Cogeco, Crosswinds Golf Course, and Dynamic Distributions) have laid the groundwork for the 2018 Lowville Festival and by extension, the ability to attract talented performers with significant audience reach.

Barbara Anderson-Huget, one of the founders of the Lowville Festival as Co-Artistic Director, was one of the first believers in the dream of Robert Missen and Lorretta Bailey. Deep expertise in theatre, music and visual arts organizations brought insights and experience that were invaluable to the Lowville Festival. Barbara was instrumental in setting the bar high and working hand-in-hand with supporters as they moved forward striving to achieve significant
milestones.  Her Operations, Fundraising, and Sponsorship work was exceptional.

John Cripton, who served the Lowville Festival as President of the Board, weaved his 50+ years of experience in culture and performing arts (his resume as a “leading cultural broker, impresario and producer in the performing arts” is unparalleled) brought depth and resilience in handling the unexpected, and led the board through an ambitious goal to achieve a stand-out weekend of creative artistic expression.

Dan Misturada as Operations Lead (along with a demanding role at Burlington Performing Arts Center) worked tirelessly to navigate all the last-minute changes and pick up all the unexpected challenges, Dan’s ability to stay calm and grounded during unpredictable events speaks volumes about his leadership.

Linda Sword with her experience in fundraising/sponsorship and NFP management, facilitated social media and communications for the Board. Her capacity to juggle numerous challenges, while staying calm in the face of sold-out events with last-minute venue changes, was a privilege to witness.

2018   Sarah Harmer’s coming home and bringing Ben Heppner – Truth or Illusion?

2015 TO 2017 LOWVILLE FESTIVAL PROGRAMMES

2017

Music for a Spring Evening: To Canada with Love
Liona Boyd and the Lowville Festival Choir
Beautiful Sights and Sounds in the Escarpment
Featuring Art Gallery of Burlington
Canada: The Thinking Man’s America
Starring: The Second City
Family Fun under the Big Top
ALICE – Featuring Motus O Dance Theatre

2016

Music for A Summer’s Night: The Classics and the Classical
Featuring: The Lowville Choir with Wayne Strongman, Conductor

(Lorretta Bailey, Renee Barabash, Simone Caruso, Trevor Copp, Charles Cozens, James Gordon, Robert Missen, and

David Warrack)

Workshop for Children with Dufflebag Theatre Company
Robin Hood by Dufflebag Theatre Company
Folkies’ Delight: The Very Best Singer-Songwriters

(Andy Griffith, Carl Horton, Jude Johnson, Stuart Laughton, Paul Novotny, and Ariel Rogers)

Love Letters by A. R. Gurney
(Lorretta Bailey and Erik Trask)
Jazz at the Lowville Bistro

2015
Swingin’ On A Star(David Warrach, Lorraine Foreman, Charles Cozens, Stuart Laughton, Jude Johnson, Renee Barabash, and Michael Mulroney)
My Cat Flash’s Sophisticated Songs for Kids
(Andy Griffiths and Frank Koren)
Roots n’ Roll: Acoustic Roots in the Old SchoolHouse
(Andy Griffiths, Frank Koren and Kim)
NIA! Welcome Lowville
(Anna Schantz)
For the Love of Lowville

(Melissa Bel, Janet Turpin-Myers, Lorraine Foreman, Jude Johnson, Lorretta Bailey, Robert Missen and friends)

Summer Serenade

(Rebecca Caine, Robert Kortgaard, Rachel Mercer, Stuart Laughton, Renee Barabash, Lorretta Bailey, Michael Mulroney)