In the dreary days of late winter, news of summer music festival lineups is welcome. The Mariposa Folk Festival will return July 3 to 5 to Tudhope Park in Orillia, Onario, and fans will welcome the lineup announcement.
Major international names in the lineup include veteran troubadours Steve Earle, Billy Bragg and Taj Mahal, respected American singer-songwriters Father John Misty and Sharon van Etten and soulful U.S. combo St. Paul and The Broken Bones. A strong and large Canadian component features Juno winner Sarah Harmer, acclaimed singer-songwriters Dan Mangan, Justin Rutledge, Adam Baldwin, Mimi O’Bonsawin, Wax Mannequin, Leith Ross and Mo Kenney, Montreal rock favourites The Barr Brothers and folk-roots combos Great Lake Swimmers, Foxwarren, Shred Kelly, Boreal, Jake Vaadeland & the Sturgeon River Boys and Reuben and The Bullhorn Singers.
Other Canadian acts providing musical variety include children's music stars Sharon & Randi and Splash'N Boots, indie rockers Yukon Blonde, Ducks Ltd and Espanola, world music group Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Lance Anderson’s Gospel Tent Revival.
"This year’s theme is Sounds Like Home, capturing how the music and the community vibe at the festival make it like home to you, wherever you are from," says Mariposa Folk Festival president, Pam Carter
Explaining his curation, artistic director Spencer Shewen notes that “This year, I really wanted to speak to something that’s always been at the heart of Mariposa: real music made by real people. There’s no A.I. here... just real musicians who’ve spent years honing their craft. When I was putting this lineup together, I kept coming back to what a summer festival should feel like for our audience. It’s about going on a journey - letting loose, relaxing, discovering new artists, creating memories, making new friends, and forgetting about the outside world for a while. I truly believe this year’s lineup does exactly that.
Alongside his ongoing role with Mariposa, Shewen was recently named programming manager at Hamilton-based music company Noisemaker.
Mariposa was founded in Orillia in 1961 and one of its co-founders, Ruth Jones McVeigh, passed away last month. The three-day event features 11 music stages plus presentations of story, dance, and craft. All ticket categories are on sale now here. Children 12 & under are admitted free. The festival has special pricing for youth and young adults. Onsite camping is available.
