With the buzz surrounding recent “buy local” initiatives, one local music festival is taking notice. For three days in March, the music scene is going to get back to its roots.
For Bob Nesbitt, local music is a way of bringing people together. As one of the organizers for the annual Ottawa Grassroots Festival, Nesbitt has been busy rallying volunteers and booking venues for the three-day event.
“Music and art are beautiful and essential elements of our human experience,” Nesbitt said. “Engaging with music and other forms of artistic expression allows people to find their voice and connect with others in meaningful ways.”
The Ottawa Grassroots Festival was created three years ago when Nesbitt got together with a group of organizers who wanted to create an inclusive community event for people to enjoy.
According to Nesbitt, the festival was created “by the people, for the people.” It is run completely by volunteers and is registered as a not-for-profit event.
Over three days, the festival will feature over 200 performers and offer a variety of activities for people of all ages. There will be singing, Bollywood dancing, a ukulele-building workshop, drumming circles, and jam sessions, among many other events.
Nesbitt said the festival has expanded over its three years, with more volunteers and venues to hold performances. But for him, the festival is about bringing a community closer together.
“We’re talking about, over the whole festival, 800 people getting together and having fun and talking to each other and seeing things and kids having a ball. Man, that’s important,” he said.
One of the performers at this year’s festival is Maxim Cossette, a banjo player and dedicated long-boarder. A Carleton University student, Cossette said he believes in promoting local music. He will be leading a banjo workshop at the festival.
“I’m a huge fan of local,” Cossette said. “When you know someone that’s local and they’re working next to you . . . you get a special connection, even if you’re not really familiar with that style of music. That’s why a festival like this is so important, so you can work and connect with the artists living right next to you.”
Cossette has toured throughout Canada, the United States, and Ireland. However, he said the Ottawa Grassroots Festival gives him the opportunity to work with artists he has connected with while at home.
“It’s sort of like a family reunion,” he said.
Nesbitt is optimistic about the festival’s future, but wants to maintain its core values of inclusion and participation as it continues to evolve. As a volunteer-run event, the festival thrives on community participation.
“The Grassroots Festival strengthens and animates our community by encouraging people of all ages to participate actively as performers,” he said.
Cosette said he agrees. The inclusive feeling of the festival is what makes it special.
“It should be a blast. Just laid-back, unpretentious, open,” he said.
The Ottawa Grassroots Festival runs April 25-27. The festival will officially launch March 5 at Pressed. Admission to the festival and workshops is free during the daytime.
