‘Unforgettable experience’ at Fairground Festival
- Chris Abbott
- Jun 18
- 2 min read
By Chris Abbott
Saturday’s Norfolk County Fairground Festival – the Beer & Beach Edition - presented by Edward Jones was a celebration of music, food and fun at the Norfolk County Faigrounds in Simcoe.
“Thank you for being here, this is so important to what we do at the ag society and we’re so happy to see you here,” said Angela Hogeveen, General Manager of the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, on stage to help introduce the 10-piece Dwayne Gretzky band, headliner of the June 14th summer kickoff ‘dance party on the track.’
“Dwayne Gretzky is known for electrifying covers of iconic hits from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s,” said Hogeveen. “Dwayne Gretzky delivers an unforgettable experience packed with nostalgia, crowd singalongs, and non-stop dancing…. I want to see you dancing.”
Also on the stage Saturday were The Treeline, a six-piece roots rock band; Benjamin Dakota Rogers, ‘old-time string-band tradition’ with driving rhythms; Born in the Eighties with ‘songs that defined a generation’; Juno Award-winning artist Conor Gains; and the Bucking Broncos’ ‘dance floor vibes with a country edge.’
Ron and Bonnie Lounsbury from Paris spent most of Saturday at the Fairground Festival, dancing and cheering on all the bands from opening to closing.
“This is really hometown for me,” said Ron. “I used to do the calf wrestling here, we showed livestock over there. And she (Bonnie) showed her horses here.
“The bands have been good – real good,” he added. “We like the western side of it, of course. They (Bucking Brocos) had said, ‘Anybody ride a bronc?’ I’ve ridden broncs... I rode one at Calgary Stampede in ’69. I’m smarter than that now.”
“They’re playing country & western, I’m down with the whole country western right now,” said Bonnie. “Willie Nelson… it’s from my roots. I love it. I just hope they have enough enthusiasm from the audience to drive them to their best.”
In addition to the 1-11 p.m. live music, the 3rd annual Fairground Festival featured local craft beverages, food trucks, beach volleyball, and a beach party zone with activities like cornhole and frisbee.
The summer festival, which kicked off in 2023, was recognized as Best New Festival by Festivals and Events Ontario in 2025.
留言