Well its time, Festival time - after waiting for the snow to melt and the spring rain to ease, after waiting already half the year its time for Mariposa the beginning in so many ways for the festival season which for me starts in Orillia’s Tudhope Park and continues on to Hillside in Guelph and River and Sky near North Bay.

This year Mariposa promises to be an affirmation of its own roots in the social justice and protest music movement with Bruce Cockburn making a rare public appearance but it also promises to be a festival not ready to rest on its heritage laurels.

Indie supergroup the New Pornographers from Vancouver are headlining the Saturday Night. Great Lake Swimmers and Whitehorse are also on the weekend schedule.

Friday night brings the band that kicked off indie in Canada, the Barenaked Ladies. Wrapping it all up in a neat bow and nod to many of the Toronto Yorkville folkies who got the Grand Old Dame of Mariposa up and running, there will be a celebration of The Band’s ‘Last Waltz’.

And of course so much more. Not just performers but also the personal commitment to community building which may well be the central legacy of Mariposa, over five decades gathering music adventurers who share common values, building a culture of community, caring, sharing, creating, and enjoying the grand old great outdoors finally. Bring on the sun, bring on the road trips, bring on the camping and the finest of folk.