Live music is returning to Westben in Campbellford with open-air concerts in late July and early August and a September music festival that includes Canadian pop superstar Serena Ryder.
To accommodate pandemic uncertainty, Westben has reconfigured its main performance venue The Barn and has created two new outdoor venues: Willow Hill and The Campfire.
At The Barn, seating has been reconfigured to provide physically distant seating in cabaret-style pods. Three of the four walls at The Barn, which also has ceiling fans, will be open for air circulation.
Willow Hill is a natural amphitheatre by the willow tree and pond just north of The Barn, where audience members will bring their own lawn chairs or blankets. The Campfire will provide an intimate experience between an artist and an audience of 20, where audience members will bring their own lawn chairs or blankets — and enjoy s’mores and a chat with the artist.
The audience size at each venue will depend on the provincial government’s public health restrictions as the time of the performance, but all seats will be placed in groups of six and will be physically distant from other groups of six.
Westben is also offering a musical nature walk experience on the Mary West Trail, located right across the road from the Westben entrance. The Mary West Nature Reserve is a natural area of meadows and forest managed by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
The open-air season begins on 7 p.m. on Friday, July 30th with Friends on the Hill, featuring favourite Trent Hills musicians inaugurating the new Willow Hill outdoor venue. Tickets are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, July 31st, multi-award-winning ensemble Lemon Bucket Orkestra performs on Willow Hill at 7 p.m. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Juno award-winning singer and virtuoso guitarist Robert Michaels will perform twice on Sunday, August 1st, with a 2 p.m. performance at The Barn and a 7 p.m. performance on Willow Hill. Tickets for either performance are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Westben’s fall open-air music festival begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 10th with Campbellford’s own Ken Tizzard performing at The Campfire. Tickets are $35 for adults, $33 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 11th (and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 18th and Saturday, September 25th), Westben presents Sounds in Nature, a nature walk on the Mary West Trail featuring a guided sound installation by Northumberland Music Studio owner and Westben sound engineer Andy Thompson. Tickets for each walk are $45 for adults, $43 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, September 11th at 2 p.m., Westben’s own Bennett-Finley Family — Westben co-founders Donna Bennett and Brian Finley along with the next generation Ben (bass) and Eve (violin) — will perform at The Barn. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Juno award-winning classical pianist André Laplante will perform two concerts at The Barn, with the first at 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 11th and the second at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 12th. Tickets for either performance are $65 for adults, $63 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Sunday, September 12th at 7 p.m., Juno award-winning jazz vocalist Sammy Jackson will be joined by guitarist Tom Fleming for a performance at The Campfire. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Canadian singer-songwriter, pianist, and CBC Music national radio host Laila Biali will perform two concerts at 7 p.m. at The Barn, on Friday, September 17th and Saturday, September 18th. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Lakefield’s Juno award-winning musical family Leahy will perform two concerts on Willow Hill, both at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th. Tickets for either performance are $75 for adults, $73 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
Kerri Ough of Good Lovelies will be performing with Ben Whiteley (Basia Bulat, Good Lovelies, Lindi Ortega, Ken Whiteley, The Weather Station, Liam Titcomb) at The Campfire at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 19th. Tickets are $50 for adults, $48 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
On Saturday, September 24th at 7 p.m., Westben will present a yet-to-be-announced artist at The Campfire. Tickets are $45 for adults, $43 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
The fall open-air music festival culminates with two performances by vocal powerhouse Serena Ryder on Willow Hill, both at 2 p.m., on Saturday, September 25th and Sunday, September 26th. The Millbrook native has become one of Canada’s musical superstars, earning six Juno awards and international acclaim for her many hits such as “Stompa”. Tickets for either performance are $100 for adults, $98 for seniors, and $20 for those under 20.
VIDEO: “Better Now” – Serena Ryder
Tickets are available now for Westben members and go on sale for the general public at 10 a.m. on Monday, July 12th by phone at 705-653-5508 (1-877-883-5777 toll free) or online at westben.ca. Ticket prices listed above do not include HST and a $6 order fee.
All concerts will be 60 to 70 minutes with no intermission. The Milkshed Bar and General Store will be open.
For more information and updates on Westben’s 2021 open-air season, visit westben.ca/events.
PDF: Westben’s 2021 Open-Air Season Schedule
Westben's 2021 Open-Air Season Schedule
