Whitby raised singer/songwriter Patrick Dorie has been added to the 2017 Boots and Hearts festival taking place at Oro-Medonte near Barrie Aug 10 to 13. Headliners this year at the country music lovers gathering include Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Keifer Sutherland, Doc Walker and Tomi Swick.

Dorie says Alex Patton, of Fource Entertianment and festival talent buyer, contacted him, on the advice of a friend.

"They were looking for an act to play a half hour set on the Saturday of Boots and Hearts at 2:00pm," says Dorie. "He said he heard about me through a friend of his. I'll be backed by Dan Liscio on bass and Dan Brooks on drums (The Blood Machine Band) and we have a set of both newer and older songs. We'll likely be performing Spider and The Lie and Aberdeen."

Dorie joins two other artists in the line up, both of whom have roots in Durham Region; Lindi Ortega and JJ Shiplett. Boots and Hearts too has roots in the Region. The festival started out at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville in 2012. The Fest organizers moved to Oro-Medonte where they now have a permanent home at Burl's Creek Event Grounds.