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Can you locate yourself? Do you remember what it felt like to stand in the dark and heat of the summer and let music wash over you, surrounded by your friends or reaching for your crush’s hand? We remember. Even though summer has ended it will arrive again, and with it: SappyFest 20, August 1-3, 2025. Prepare your hearts!! 💘
All sweet photos by the equally sweet @paulatwoodphoto 🖤
List of Accomodations to Plan your Stay
Please check the full schedule for details.
All venues outside of the Bridge Street Stage are subject to capacity limits, if there's something you really want to see, get there early!
FRIDAY
BRIDGE STREET STAGE
6:45 pm - 12:00 am
The Drama Queenz + Kids Corner Power Jam, Absolute Losers,
Puberty Well, Sick Puppy, Slash Need
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
12:00 am-1:45 am
Sappy Karaoke
SATURDAY
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
11:00 am - 4:00 pm Sappy Zine & Craft Fair
SACKVILLE COMMONS
11:30 am New Suns Collective movement & sound performance (masks required)
BRIDGE STREET STAGE (DAY)
1:30 pm - 4:15 pm
Klarka Weinwurm, Bry Webb, All Wild Things Are Shy
MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY CHAPEL
5:30 pm-7:05 pm
Rita McKeough+Felt Noise, Lee Ranaldo
BRIDGE STREET STAGE (NIGHT)
8:15 pm - 12:00 am
General Khan, The Umbrella Collective, Dog Day, Annie-Claude Deschênes
DUCKY’S PUB
12:15 am-1:45 am
ASKO, PAPAL VISIT
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
12:15 am-1:45 am
Nectar Collective: Queer DJ collective from Kjipuktuk (Halifax)
SUNDAY
SACKVILLE COMMONS
11:00 am Rita McKeough Artist Talk
BILL JOHNSTONE MEMORIAL PARK BANDSTAND
11:00 am Pete Moss Children’s Concert
BRIDGE STREET STAGE (DAY)
1:00 pm - 4:20 pm
Universal Dawn Reading Series, Blue Horse and more
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
5:30 pm-6:40 pm
An evening with expert storyteller and funny man canada.gov.ca
BRIDGE STREET STAGE (NIGHT)
8:15 pm - 12:00 am
Francine McClure, Jon McKiel, Nicolette & The Nobodies, Saltwater Hank
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
12:00 am-1:45am
Sappy Closing Party with Chillteens!
Start making plans and grab your day and weekend passes now!
THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT!
Kicking off the festival is a young person power hour. The Drama Queenz premiering the tween dream musical theatre masterpiece Chips: The Musical (is it Off-Broadway or is it On-Bridge?). If you were hoping to sing along, you're in luck because the album just dropped on bandcamp! They will be followed by epic supergroup Turtle Magic, created in the rocking recesses of Sappy day camp Kids Corner Power Jam.
Pete Moss, Ontario's preeminent kids performer will be performing a FREE children's concert on Sunday at 11am in the Bill Johnstone Memorial Park bandstand. Bring your kid friends, your friend's kids and your friendly pets, why not!
Youth and Children are permitted at the Bridge Street Tent (the main festival grounds) and other satellite venues (excluding bars) but must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who has purchased a pass.
Please check the full schedule for details.
All venues outside of the Bridge Street Stage are subject to capacity limits, if there's something you really want to see, get there early!
ALL WEEKEND LONG
WEave, a large-scale participatory weaving installation takes over the Struts Parking Lot at 7 Lorne Street.
Sappyfest for Dummies consists of community-made life-sized self-portrait body doubles installed in a tucked-away theatre.
Mount Allison Library 3rd floor Library Theatre, 49 York St.
12 pm - 4 pm
It’s Giving by Lisa Smolkin is a screening and performance that examines and satirizes contemporary wellness culture.
Film Screening ongoing throughout Sappyfest weekend
Performances: Saturday 12:30 – 1:15 / Sunday 4:30 – 5:15 pm
Struts Gallery, back gallery
FRIDAY
STRUTS BBQ
12:00 pm Cheap eats and check out the exhibitions!
SAPPYFEST FOR DUMMIES
1 pm - 4 pm Opening Reception
Mount Allison Library 3rd floor Library Theatre, 49 York St.
SATURDAY
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
11:00 am - 4:00 pm Sappy Zine & Craft Fair
SACKVILLE COMMONS
11:30 am New Suns Collective movement & sound performance (masks required)
STRUTS GALLERY
12:30 pm It’s Giving by Lisa Smolkin
MOUNT ALLISON UNIVERSITY CHAPEL
5:30 pm-7:00 pm Rita McKeough+Felt Noise, Lee Ranaldo
SUNDAY
SACKVILLE COMMONS
11:00 am Rita McKeough + Julia Rigby (Felt Noise) Artist Talk
BRIDGE STREET STAGE
1:00 pm Universal Dawn Reading Series
STRUTS GALLERY
4:30 pm It’s Giving by Lisa Smolkin
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
5:30 pm-6:40 pm Expert storyteller canada.gov.ca
Artwork by Deirdre Sokolowska
We need last-minute volunteers! Earn free tickets and make new friends!
Volunteers are the heart of Sappyfest. Sure, you might have waited 'til the final hour to decide you're coming, or you might already have a ticket but want to be part of the team. No problem! Let's collectively make sure everyone from audiences to artists are happy, comfortable, fed, and having fun.
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS
We'd like to thank our community partners and sponsors Struts Gallery , Bagtown Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Victory Pool, Mount Allison University, Community Forests International, CHMA 106.9 FM, Libra Non-Alcoholic Beer, International, 4imprint, Exclaim! and Sackville Cinemateque, Sackville United Church for their financial, technical, and emotional support! We couldn't do this without you!
In addition we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, The Department of Canadian Heritage, The Government of Canada, The Government of New Brunswick, Arts New Brunswick and the Town of Tantramar for their support of Sappyfest 19.
Sappyfest is more than a music festival! Read below about the full slate of special projects rising from the magic of the swamp: art, performance, installation, poetry, dance and storytelling will delight and dazzle Sappy festival-goers of all ages!
Art-lovers will want to make sure they check out performance duo New Suns Collective who create a conversation through improvised violin and movement; the experimental organ performance by Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo; AND you won't want to miss tween musical theatre sensations The Drama Queenz kicking off the festival with their new hit CHIPS: The Musical.
*You heard it here first* new additions to the music line-up include Wares' Cassia Hardy performing solo, and Fredericton's Chillteens.
For all of this and MORE explore the full lineup, schedule + grab your passes today!
Photo Credit: OSO
Struts Gallery is co-presenting several exciting Sappy art projects this year!
WEave, a large-scale participatory weaving installation by Halifax design studio OSO will take over the Struts Parking Lot.
Sappyfest for Dummies consists of community-made life-sized self-portrait body doubles installed in the Mt Allison Library Theatre. Facilitated by superhero artist team Shary Boyle, Steven Lambke, and Graeme Patterson.
It’s Giving by Toronto-based performance artist Lisa Smolkin is a screening and performance that examines and satirizes contemporary wellness culture.
Mellow Yellow Bench is an interactive sculpture by Sackville-based artist Alex Keeling which will be floating around town, you can't miss it!
More information can be found on the Struts Gallery website!
Photo Credit: Canada.gov.ca
Canada.gov.ca is coming to Sackville for the first time ever!? Don't miss your chance to see John Batt, the infamous and hilarious New Brunswick-born internet sensation, bring the more obscure side of Canadian history and culture to life. Sunday August 4th, Royal Canadian Legion, 5:30PM
Universal Dawn is an annual showcase of writers that offer their gifts to the Bridge Street Stage. Prepare to be transported to fantastical planes by Colleen Coco Collins, Phoebe Marmura, Erin Brubacher, and Sue Goyette: poet-writers-artists-performers that weave fascinating webs of words. Sunday August 4th, Bridge Street Stage, 1PM
Start making plans and grab your day and weekend passes now!
Photo Credit: Amber Helene Müller St. Thomas
Sappyfest is excited to bring back our Artist-in-Residence program with illustrious performance artist Rita McKeough!
Rita McKeough is an installation artist and musician whose work focuses on the environmental impacts of resource extraction and demonstrates her desire to use sound to create a rhythmic voice of agency to articulate forces of resistance in the natural world.
Artist Talk:
Sunday August 4th, 11AM
Sackville Commons
Rita's performance Felt Noise is a site-specific multimedia collaboration with artist-musicians Julia Rigby, Alec Brilling and Ursula Sokół. Felt Noise asks questions about empathy and interspecies relationships, navigating systems, and reconnections.
Felt Noise Performance:
Saturday August 3rd, 5PM
Mount Allison Chapel
The Artist-in-Residence program is generously supported by the New Brunswick Arts Board.
Umbrella Collective play Saturday night on the Bridge Street Stage
Join us for three days of live music, performance art, readings, installations, artist talks, screenings plus the legendary Sappy karaoke, our Zine & Craft Fair and Sappy Street Market, Kids Corner Power Jam, and so much more!
Check out the schedule and visit our lineup page to learn more about these special artists.
Start making plans and grab your day and weekend passes now!
We hope you enjoyed the Very Amateur Comedy Night and Trivia! Come to Ducky's on Friday to dance the night away AND support the festival at the same time!
SAPPY SAPPY DANCE PARTY
Date: Friday July 26 at 8PM
Location: Ducky's Bar
Cover: $2 (or $3 debit)
Make new friends! Reunite with old ones! Earn free tix!
Volunteers and Billet hosts are the heart of Sappyfest. You are the reason things run smoothly and that everyone from audiences to artists are happy, comfortable, fed, and having fun!
Call for Volunteers
Volunteers are needed for a variety of crews, including bar, box office, band food, doors, merchandise, stage support, recycling, transportation, site set-up, band food, the safety squad, and more. Youth volunteers are welcome with a signed permission form.
Working one volunteer shift gets you a day pass for the day you work, and three shifts entitles you to a full festival pass!
Call for Billets
We are looking for Billets hosts who can provide clean, comfortable, and safe accommodations for our visiting artists. Each year, we depend on the generosity of Sackville residents who kindly open their homes. We billet artists according to their needs and the needs of the host, ensuring appropriate matches.
Billet hosts receive a full weekend pass!
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS
We'd like to thank our community partners and sponsors Struts Gallery , Bagtown Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Victory Pool, Mount Allison University, CHMA 106.9 FM, Community Forests International, 4imprint, Exclaim! and Sackville Cinemateque, Sackville United Church for their financial, technical, and emotional support! We couldn't do this without you!
If you would like to get involved as a Sappyfest sponsor, please contact us at productionassistant@sappyfest.com
In addition we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, The Department of Canadian Heritage, The Government of Canada, The New Brunswick Arts Board, The Government of New Brunswick and Town of Tantramar for their support of Sappyfest 19.
The schedule is LIVE for Sappyfest 19, featuring three days of live music, performance art, readings, installations, and artist talks, plus the legendary Sappy karaoke, Zine & Craft Fair and Universal Dawn Reading Series. Sappyfest is also excited to unveil more additions to the lineup including acclaimed poet Sue Goyette, ASKO - electronic music that echoes nêhiyaw life and ways of living, and Pop-Up Dark Room spearheaded by photographers Natalie Baird and Jonny Lush.
These exciting additions join previously-announced acts from Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo to All Wild Things Are Shy - a super group with super special guests performing the last album written by Richard Laviolette, musician, songwriter and dear Sappy friend who passed away in 2023.
Check out the schedule and visit our lineup page to learn more about these special artists.
Start making plans and grab your day or full weekend passes now!
Watch for weekly newsletters + updates as we get closer to Sappyfest19
Photo Credit: Rita McKeough
Sappyfest is indeed a music festival, but it is also an adventure in experimentation and art-making. Renowned performance artist Rita McKeough is Sappyfest's Artist-in-Residence! On Saturday August 2nd in the Mount Allison Chapel, Rita will be joined live by Californian sound artist Julia Rigby for their project Felt Noise - an experimental collaboration that asks questions about empathy and interspecies relationships. Rita will also be giving an artist talk, check the schedule for details.
There is still time to participate in Sappyfest for Dummies, facilitated by artists Shary Boyle, Steven Lambke and Graeme Patterson. This community craft project consists of making a life-sized seated dummy of YOURSELF or a friend to be exhibited at the Mount Allison Library Theatre during Sappyfest! All dummies must be received by August 1st.
Check out the schedule and start making plans! Grab your day and weekend passes now!
Reminder: A Very Amateur Comedy Night
This Friday! July 19, 2024
Doors at 7:30pm, Show at 8pm
$15 Cover
Back by popular demand! Come support Sappyfest! Grab a beverage with your friends and neighbours while watching a choice group of them test out their comedic chops for the first time!
Hosted by the ever-charming Klarka Weinwurm and Geordie Miller, A Very Amateur Comedy Night features local first time stand up comedians (and brave souls!)
Watch for more special programming leading up to the Festival!
We have lots of fun things planned in the weeks leading up to the Festival. Come gather as a community and support the festival at the same time!
SAPPYFEST TRIVIA NIGHT
Wednesday July 24
Bagtown Brewery
Doors at 5pm, Trivia at 7pm
$15 cover
Be your best know-it-all self and impress us with your Sappy-deep-cuts.
SAPPYFEST DANCE PARTY
Date: Friday July 26
Ducky's Bar
8pm
$2 cash or $3 debit cover
Show off your moves and dance the night away while supporting Sappyfest!
Make new friends! Reunite with old ones! Earn free tickets!
Volunteers and Billet hosts are the heart of Sappyfest. You are the reason things run smoothly and that everyone from audiences to artists are happy, comfortable, fed, and having fun!
Call for Volunteers
Volunteers are needed for a variety of crews, including bar, box office, band food, doors, merchandise, stage support, recycling, transportation, site set-up, band food, the safety squad, and more. Youth volunteers are welcome with a signed permission form. For more information and to register, click the button below!
Working one volunteer shift gets you a day pass for the day you work, and three shifts entitles you to a full festival pass!
Call for Billets
We are looking for Billets who can provide clean, comfortable, and safe accommodations for our visiting artists. Hosting an artist not only supports the festival but also offers a unique opportunity to connect with creative individuals and be a part of their festival experience. Each year, we depend on the generosity of Sackville residents who kindly open their homes. We billet artists according to their needs and the needs of the host, ensuring appropriate matches. For more information and to register, click the button below!
Billet hosts receive a full weekend pass!
Call for Vendors!
We are excited to invite vendors to participate in Sappyfest 19 this August 2nd-4th, 2024. The Sappy Street Market is an essential component of the festival experience. It provides an opportunity for festival goers, residents and visitors alike to check out regional food, craft, and products in the heart of our festival grounds on Bridge Street.
If you're interested in selling food or other goods at Sappyfest, please find rates, details, and a registration form on our vendor page here: sappyfest.com/vendors
Link to Vendor Info Page + Registration Form
SPONSORS AND SUPPORTERS
We'd like to thank our community partners and sponsors Struts Gallery , Bagtown Brewing, Ducky's Bar, Victory Pool, Mount Allison University, CHMA 106.9 FM, Community Forests International, 4imprint, Exclaim! and Sackville Cinemateque, Sackville United Church for their financial, technical, and emotional support! We couldn't do this without you!
If you would like to get involved as a Sappyfest sponsor, please contact us at productionassistant@sappyfest.com
In addition we would like to thank the Canada Council for the Arts, The Department of Canadian Heritage, The Government of Canada, The Government of New Brunswick and and Town of Tantramar for their support of Sappyfest 19.
Sappyfest is excited to announce that Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth is joining the lineup!
Musician, visual artist, and writer, Lee Ranaldo co-founded Sonic Youth in 1981 and has been active in New York’s downtown community and internationally since then as composer, performer and producer, also exhibiting visual art and publishing several books of journals, poetry and writings on music.
A true pioneer of sound exploration and pushing sonic boundaries with his experimental approach, on Saturday, August 3rd Lee will treat Sappy audiences to an intimate performance, with accompanying visuals by Leah Singer, in the Mount Allison University Chapel—utilizing their massive custom-built Casavant Fréres pipe organ. You won’t want to miss this rare performance!
Don’t have your Sappyfest tickets yet? Grab them here: sappyfest.com/tickets
Photo: Allex Rademakers
The Sappyfest 19 Lineup has arrived! Three days of live music, performance art, readings, artist talks, screenings, workshops plus the legendary Sappy karaoke, our Zine & Craft Fair and Sappy Street Market, Kids Corner Power Jam, everyone’s favourite Pancake breakfast from our friends at The Sackville United Church, the return of our Artist in Residence program, and so much more!!
Visit our lineup page to learn more about these special artists and grab your weekend pass here! Full schedule and individual day passess will be available soon + more exciting things are still to come!
Thank you to our funders: Canada Council for the Arts, The Government of Canada, Tourism New Brunswick, the New Brunswick Arts Board/ le Conseil des arts du Nouveau-Brunswick.
Don’t forget! We’re looking for billet hosts, volunteers, and vendors! Follow the links or find us at the Sackville Farmers Market every second Saturday (next date June 22nd).
Artwork by Deirdre Sokolowska.
Image Description: This is a colorful illustrated poster for Sappyfest 19. It features a whimsical drawing of a joyful, stylized person holding a large bouquet of densely packed flowers displaying a variety of species and colors such as reds, yellows, and blues set on a powder blue background. The character has a child-like appearance, with rosy cheeks, and is wearing a vibrant red dress with frilled edges, pink socks, and red shoes.
The character is also adorned with a head wreath made of flowers and green leaves.To the left, above the figure's head, there is a small blue bird in flight, and to the right is a large, lit candle with dripping wax. Next to the character on the right is a muted gray almost cloud like shape that contains event details written in white.
A large pink banner with the text "SAPPYFEST 19 Sackville, NB August 2-4, 2024" in red is featured in the top right corner. The bottom section of the image features stylized dripping candles with faces that are reminiscent of Classical Greek-style stone busts and below that, a list of artists.
Volunteers and Billet hosts are the heart of Sappyfest. You are the reason things run smoothly and that audiences, artists, and crew are happy, comfortable, fed, and having fun!
Whether you are interested in assisting at the bar, working at the box office, serving food to artists, helping at the doors, selling merchandise, supporting the stage, handling recycling, shuttling folks around, or keeping folks safe through the safety squad, we need you!
In addition to volunteers, we are also seeking billet hosts who can provide clean, comfortable, and safe accommodations for our visiting artists. By opening your home to an artist, you play a crucial role in the festival’s success and help artists put their best work forward. Hosting an artist not only supports the festival but also offers a unique opportunity to connect with creative individuals and be a part of their festival experience. Each year, we depend on the generosity of Sackville residents who kindly offer their homes to visiting artists.
If you would like to volunteer your time or your space in exchange for tickets, read more and sign up here!
Image Description: The image presents a colorful and playful illustration centered around Sappyfest’s call. The artwork features an anthropomorphic candle character wearing red overalls with its wick-head on fire, painting “Call For Volunteers & Billet Hosts” with a brush dipped in red paint. The candle character stands on a dark brown step ladder at the center of the image, reaching up to apply paint towards the top of the frame. The garland frame consists of intertwining leaves in shades of green and blue, adorned with hearts and flowers in yellow, pink, and blue. The background sports horizontal petals alternating between light blue and red. At the bottom, within the garland frame, the text "SappyFest 19" is prominent, set against a white, cloud. Below that, additional information is provided: "SACKVILLE, NB / AUGUST 2-4 2024".
As the inaugural Yes, Indeedy (I Do) weekend in honor of our friend Richard Laviolette comes to a close, we feel that now is the right time to share a project that we have been keeping under our hats, something to look forward to, something for our hearts: All Wild Things Are Shy.
All Wild Things Are Shy is the band Richard Laviolette worked with to rehearse and record his last album of the same name. Richard honed the songs on this album during the last five years of his life, in the time between his mother’s death from Huntington’s Disease and his own. The band is: Jessy Bell Smith, Rich Burnett, Ally Corbett, Jordan Howard, Matt Reeves, and Dave Snider. Together with a line-up of guest vocalists they will perform the twelve songs from All Wild Things Are Shy.
In the words of Steven Lambke, “Everything I can think to say today about love and loss and the way to celebrate life through music, Richard has said in one of his songs. They burst with life and mortality, with guts and glory, with love, justice, honesty, and a beautiful mischief.”
We’re eager to hear the messages Richard conveyed in these songs and to have them shared, interpreted, and played by his friends, confidants, and co-conspirators.
Thank you to Sophia, Steve, and all the musicians involved for making this project happen. All Wild Things Are Shy will play on Saturday, August 3rd. Full details to come, and to grab your advance weekend pass, visit the ticket page here: sappyfest.com/tickets
BIG LOVE.
Image Description: A group of seven people enjoys a casual outdoor gathering against a black brick wall; individuals show varying degrees of motion and engagement, with one woman on the right laughing mid-motion.
We are excited to invite vendors to participate in Sappyfest 19 this August 2nd-4th, 2024. The Sappy Street Market is an essential component of the festival experience. It provides an opportunity for festival goers, residents and visitors alike to check out regional food, craft, and products in the heart of our festival grounds on Bridge Street. If you're interested in selling food or other goods at Sappyfest, please find rates, details, and a registration form on our vendor page here: sappyfest.com/vendors
Artwork by Deirdre Sokolowska
Image Description: The image presents a colorful and playful illustration centered around Sappyfest’s call. The artwork features an anthropomorphic candle character wearing red overalls with its wick-head on fire, painting “Call For Vendors” with a brush dipped in red paint. The candle character stands on a dark brown step ladder at the center of the image, reaching up to apply paint towards the top of the frame. The garland frame consists of intertwining leaves in shades of green and blue, adorned with hearts and flowers in yellow, pink, and blue. The background sports horizontal petals alternating between light blue and red. At the bottom, within the garland frame, the text "SappyFest 19" is prominent, set against a white, cloud. Below that, additional information is provided: "SACKVILLE, NB / AUGUST 2-4 2024".
We're hiring a Production Assistant Intern for the 2024 festival! Applications will remain open until the position is filled, with interviews commencing as early as May 20th. This opportunity falls under the Canada Summer Jobs program and is open to individuals between the ages of 19-30 (applicants may be over 30 at the end of the employment period).
Key responsibilities include supporting festival production and logistics, assisting with marketing and communications, contributing to daily office tasks, and supporting the Creative Director and Festival Operations Intern as required.
For more information visit our employment page or DOWNLOAD THE DETAILED JOB POSTING HERE.
Image Description: The image is a pale blue box with black text. At the top right, an oval shape contains the words "SAPPYFEST 19” in bold uppercase text, with a smaller caption below stating "SACKVILLE, NB / AUGUST 2-4 2024". This oval is connected with a curved black arrow pointing down toward the main heading that reads "WE ARE HIRING". The central portion of the image presents a large, bolded uppercase text that reads "WE ARE HIRING". Below in slightly smaller font size, is a question, "Are you our next Production Assistant Intern?". The bottom part of the image contains another oval connected with a curved arrow pointing upwards towards the main text. Inside this oval, the instruction "APPLY AT SAPPYFEST.COM" is written in smaller uppercase text.
Calling all zinesters, printmakers, publishers, writers, cartoonists and crafters! The Sappyfest Zine and Craft Fair is back! Book a table to sell your handcrafted and original zines, prints, artwork, and more. The fair will take place on Saturday, August 3rd from 11:00am - 4:00pm. We welcome and encourage all artists to apply - we cannot wait to see your amazing work! Please find information on registration, fees, and other details here: www.sappyfest.com/zine-craft-fair. We’re looking forward to seeing you!
Artwork by Deirdre Sokolowska
Image Description: The image presents a colorful and playful illustration centered around Sappyfest’s call. The artwork features an anthropomorphic candle character wearing red overalls with its wick-head on fire, painting “Call For Zine & Craft Fair Participants” with a brush dipped in red paint. The candle character stands on a dark brown step ladder at the center of the image, reaching up to apply paint towards the top of the frame. The garland frame consists of intertwining leaves in shades of green and blue, adorned with hearts and flowers in yellow, pink, and blue. The background sports horizontal petals alternating between light blue and red. At the bottom, within the garland frame, the text "SappyFest 19" is prominent, set against a white, cloud. Below that, additional information is provided: "SACKVILLE, NB / AUGUST 2-4 2024".
We’re feeling too excited to keep this first group of artists who invigorate and inspire us with their new and thrilling works under our caps much longer. So! In the spirit of summer dreams and with so much love, we are delighted to share a sneak peek of artists who will be performing and presenting throughout Sappyfest 19, this August 2nd-4th, 2024, in Sackville, NB. Please welcome Absolute Losers, canada.gov.ca, Nectar Collective (aniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiita, dj decision, & dumb little bitch), Pete Moss, Puberty Well, Saltwater Hank, The Drama Queenz, and The Umbrella Collective, with Deirdre Sokolowska as Sappyfest 19’s visual artist. If you don’t already know these folks, we think you will love them!
Visit our lineup page to learn more about these incredible artists and visit our ticket page to purchase your passes. Don’t forget! Early Birds have been on sale since March 8th, and sales end TONIGHT, Wednesday, April 10th at 11:59 pm ADT. Early Bird’s are $115 + tax and fees / $90 + tax and fees for students, seniors, and under/unemployed people. On Thursday, April 11th at midnight, tickets jump in price to the Advance Weekend Pass rate of $125 + tax and fees.
We have so much fulfilling work ahead. We’re looking forward to connecting with artists for continued programming, touching base with volunteers, organizers, community members, supporters, and partners, welcoming summer staff, and so much more. This is just the start. Stay tuned for a lineup announcement mid-May!
Image Description: This is a colorful and whimsical illustration. A large pink banner with the text "SAPPYFEST 19" in red drapes across the top of the image. The central portion of the image features stylized clouds containing red text, set against a sky-blue background. Each cloud lists a Sappyfest 19 artist: Absolute Losers, canada.gov.ca, Nectar Collective (aniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiita, dj decision, & dumb little bitch), Pete Moss, Puberty Well, Saltwater Hank, The Drama Queenz, and The Umbrella Collective. On the left and right side of the image, there are candles with faces that are reminiscent of Classical Greek-style stone busts. Melting candle wax resembles hair, and a candle flame is at the top of their heads. Each candle has a blue lupine plant beside it. At the bottom, a pink-colored banner winds across, listing "SACKVILLE, NB tickets available at sappyfest.com.
SappyFest Inc. would like to invite its membership and those interested in becoming members to the 2023 Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, April 23rd at 6:30pm ADT. To RSVP and receive the Google Meet login information please email producer@sappyfest.com ahead of the meeting.
This is an open meeting with presentations from staff and board members on the organization's activities, financials, as well as elections to the SappyFest Board of Directors. Voting in elections to the SappyFest Board of Directors requires a $20 voting membership, e-transfers accepted.
The agenda, last year's minutes, current bylaws and the agenda, are available by request.
Key agenda items will include:
-- Elections to the SappyFest Board of Directors (2 year term).
-- Approval of 2022 Financial statements.
-- President of the Board of Directors statement.
-- Creative Director's statement.
-- Questions from the floor.
And don’t forget, we are currently seeking new Board members! Please share our call for Board members widely to anyone who may be interested in contributing to a beloved community event.
Hope to see you all there!
Do you love music, art and fun? Are you interested in contributing to a beloved community event? You’re in luck, because the SappyFest Board is looking for new members!
About the Board
SappyFest is an annual independent arts and music festival held in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. SappyFest is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. SappyFest relies on the Board for expertise in areas such as development, grant writing, community outreach, marketing etc. Board meetings involve high-level discussions about strategic goals and conversations about operations. Board members are expected to support the festival on the ground during the festival dates.
The Board of Directors meets approximately once per month throughout the year, and twice per month leading up to the festival (June - August). Board members serve on the Board for a two-year term and may be re-elected for another two-year term.
We are especially looking for individuals with knowledge in the following areas: fundraising, grant writing, finance, and board governance. Digital administration infrastructure, organizational resilience, human resources, accessibility, and strategic planning are other helpful areas of expertise.
Primary Responsibilities
Act as passionate advocates for SappyFest
Engage in fundraising efforts including grant writing and special events
Provide guidance and oversight to advance SappyFest
Engage in high-level discussions about strategic goals and operations
Review and approve organizational governance policies and procedures
Guide and assist the staff
Financial management
Ensure effective community relations
Support festival operations during the festival
Review Process & Contact
SappyFest’s Executive Committee will review the applications and contact interested members. If you have any questions, please email producer@sappyfest.ca with the subject “Board Member Application.“
SappyFest values diversity and inclusivity in our community and is committed to anti-discrimination and anti-racism. We encourage applications from Black, Indigenous, and other racialized people; members of the 2SLGBTQIA+community; Deaf and Disabled people, and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
We also encourage nominations. If you know someone who would be a good fit for SappyFest, please share this post with them.
We look forward to your submissions, and thank you!
Please take a look at the SappyFest By-laws here: CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS of SappyFest INC.
For the application form, please follow the link below.
https://forms.gle/BJhGxf7wnLDgACWT7
Please submit by Tuesday, April 9th at 11:59 pm ADT.
Hello friends! As we work towards another special in-person festival this summer, we are excited to share that Early Bird Weekend Passes for Sappyfest 19, taking place August 2nd-4th, 2024 in Sackville, NB are on sale now!
Early Bird’s are the most affordable way to take in the entire festival, so get yours today before prices go up on April 7th and again on June 1st.
We have some new ticket tiers available, including a reduced price Early Bird for students, seniors, and under/unemployed folks, as well as a by donation youth pass. For all prices, descriptions, sale dates, and to purchase, visit our tickets and info page here: https://www.sappyfest.com/tickets.
We can’t wait to share more with you in the coming weeks and months!
Photo of Mother Tongues at Sappyfest 18 by Galen Juliusson.
Photo of Sappyfest 2023 by Colin Medley
We know this community is full of great ideas, and we want to hear them! What is important to you about SappyFest? How would you like to contribute? What would you like to see happen?
We got together IRL on November 28th to dream big. But we wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts with us, so we made this survey: Sappy Futures Google Form
Sappy has been hard at work with exciting and innovative programming continuing through pandemic lockdowns, lightning storms, and economic recessions. We are committed to keeping this festival community-driven and we want to create an opportunity for local folks to have their say. We’d like to keep the conversation forward-looking and hopeful, so while we know there will be gripes and grumbles, we want to know what could be done to tickle your fancies.
Some things you can weigh in on here: community engagement, artists and performers, venues, local businesses, kids programming, and more! Answer one question or all of them. Be as thorough or as short with your responses as you like.
As a thank you for taking the time to respond, you can be entered to win a pass to Sappy19. Enter your name and e-mail at the end of the form.
We look forward to hearing from you!
xo Team Sappy
Another Sappyfest is in the books! We were so thrilled to welcome The Drama Queenz and Deadly Latté to the stage the first day of the festival for their big debuts. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to The Rotary Club of Sackville for financially supporting Sappyfest’s Kids Corner Power Jam and encouraging a new generation of artists and to Alex Thomas, KCPJ’s fearless leader who mentored and supported 11 incredible youth in the 5 days leading up to Sappyfest.
Image 1: Deadly Latté performing live on the Bridge Street Stage at Sappyfest 18, with Alex Thomas at the helm.
Image 2: A hand-drawn sign advertising Deadly Latté’s Sappyfest performance. Poster says: “Deadly Latté in concert at the Sappyfest main stage. Friday, 6:45 pm.” The poster has a drawing of a drumset on it, with an angry latte sitting on a nearby coffee table and saying “grrrr.”
Image 3: The Rotary Club of Sackville sign sitting outside the parking lot entrance to Sackville United Church on a sunny day.
Sappy Day 3! They say all good things come in threes. A full and energizing program for our third and final day together, growing and evolving, figuring it out as we go!
Our sweet friends at the Sackville United Church are throwing their doors open wide for a Pancake Breakfast from 9:00 - 11:00 am! Free for all. Share in food and community!
Head to the Chester Cole Memorial Ball Field for 11:30 am High Integrity Interval Training. Hustle for the muscle with Aquakultre, Fiver and Nathan Doucet. Original electronic music. Work out, or just stand or sit and drink Gatorade for free. Bring sunscreen, bug spray, a towel or yoga mat, a hat, sunglasses, and your chronic injuries. Suitable for all people!
Join Special Costello for the second installment of the Surround Sound Kiosk at Waterfowl Park off of Weldon Street from 10 am - 1 pm, generously presented by Struts Gallery. Speaking of Struts, exhibitions are on all day! Over and Over returns. Visit from 12-5 pm.
Drop in at the Owens Art Gallery anytime from 1-5 pm to browse their selection of Sappyfest-themed zines from their Teeny Tiny Zine Library, featuring local artists and Sappy dreamers.
Doors open at the main stage at 1:00 pm. Universal Dawn, our annual literary and exhibition series, starts at 1:30, featuring works by Freddy Smith, Jenna Lyn Albert and Sophia Lawrence. Poems and art can make many things happen. Come see for yourself!
At 2:50 pm, Écarlate Musique moves us with their heartfelt lyrics. Then, Piner, wanderer and old soul, helps us connect to the greater human experience.
The tent closes at 4:30, giving you another chance to peruse goods, wares and delicious food from our fantastic vendors at the Sappy Street Market. Then, make sure to hit Bill Johnstone Memorial Park and join in a collective project of singing with Love Songs to End Colonization, repurposing popular love songs to dismantle settler colonialism.
The Bridge Street tent opens back up at 7:00 pm. Caged Animals puts us underneath their spell. XIA-3 bring the house down with a post-rock meets guzheng performance. Witch Prophet offers us a trip-hop soundscape like no other. Aquakultre shows us a good time while standing for his truth and his community.
The tent closes up at midnight, but don’t fret: before you all wander back, see Julie Doiron with Special Guess at the Sackville Legion for an incredible show to wrap up the festival. One last hurrah! We’ll race you there!
Photo by Kheaven Brasier
Sappy Saturday may be a rainy one, but we press on together! A full day of programming awaits under and around the tent:
The ever-popular Sappyfest Zine & Craft Fair returns! A parade of new and returning makers. Zinesters, poets, photographers, beaders, and makers of all kinds rejoice! Head to the upper floor of the Legion anytime from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
On the first floor of the Legion at 12:15 pm, Moncton shoegaze band Tea 4 Three brings the noise. Toronto band Mother Tongues, playing their first of two Saturday shows, gives Sackville the cyberpunk edge we all need.
At Struts Gallery, Over and Over enters its second day of exhibition from 12-5 pm. How do we perform memory as we revisit memorabilia? Explore treasured and mundane objects on display.
Doors to the tent open at 1 PM. Make your way to the stage for 1:30 to hear Jing Xia's stunning, moving guzheng performance. Then, Flour draws us in: an angry invitation to sway together amidst disaster. Nico Paulo touches hearts deeply with lush harmonies and sophisticated pop arrangements.
The tent closes at 4:30 pm so we can prep for our evening show. Head over to Struts Gallery for Untitled Peter Tripp Project presented by Bundon Pfeifer Henderson, born in contemplation of a publicity stunt from 60 years ago. Hungry? As you wander back to the tent, grab delicious food and find new clothes, crafts, and treats sold by our amazing vendors at the Sappy Street Market!
Doors open at 7:30 pm. At 8:15, Bridge Street comes to life with a solo set by Matty Grace from Halifax punk band Cluttered. Playing their second show of the day, Mother Tongues peer into the future—it's queer, it's goth, it's freedom, and everyone is wearing eyeliner. Fiver and the Atlanticks Official share chaotic reinterpretations from Simone Schmidt's catalogue: wide net, no misses. By Divine Right closes the night with psych-infused art-pop magic.
Sun or showers, we gather at the marsh! SAPPY DAY 2! C'EST PARTI!
Zine & Craft Fair Illustration by Patrick Allaby
Photos by Kheaven Brasier
Hope you’ve been having a magical first night in the swamp! Due to inclement weather, we have some date and time changes for tomorrow morning’s program:
High Integrity Interval Training with Aquakultre, Fiver and Nathan Doucet has been moved to 11:30 am on Sunday, August 6th. Still taking place at the Chester Cole Memorial Ball Field: location remains the same!
Tea 4 Three and Mother Tongues’ Saturday noontime shows have been moved to the Royal Canadian Legion. The time remains the same! Come on out and hear them shred at 12:15 pm!
We appreciate your understanding and support!
