By Will McGuirk
Although Mariposa Festival in Oriliia has been cancelled two years in a row the crew are still building and working and now announce a series of satellite concerts at venues throughout the town. The Doozies who took the 2019 festival by storm as they say, is booked to perform, plus a host of other well-known and lesser known acts in what Event coordinator Fred Addis calls a treat for audiences.
“The seed of the idea for the Mariposa Satellite Concerts event grew out of the disappointment of the Mariposa Folk Festival’s cancellation and the ongoing COVID restrictions. How could we return to live music, in a safe environment, while hiring artists and production professionals who have been largely out of work for 18 months? The answer was to spread a mini-festival out over multiple satellite venues, each with limited capacities. We think audiences are in for a treat,” says Addis in a press release.
The Mariposa Satellite Concerts takes place on October 23, 2021. Tickets on Sale here->
The satellite venues include a tent at the ODAS Fairground; the Mariposa Grande ballroom at the Best Western Mariposa Inn; the barn at Braestone; St. Paul’s Centre; and the historic Orillia Opera House which will host a daytime satellite stage as well as the evening main stage performance.
The main stage at the Orillia Opera House will commence at 7:30pm and features Donovan Woods, winner of the 2019 Juno Award for contemporary roots album, plus Mariposa favourite Shakura S’Aida and Evangeline Gentle.
The afternoon concerts will run from 1:00pm to about 5:00pm and patrons can choose one of these breathtaking lineups:
ODAS Fairground – Jay Stiles, The Connors Brothers, The Honeyrunners, and Danny Michel
Best Western Mariposa Inn – James Gray, The Doozies, Kaia Kater, and Amanda Rheaume
Braestone Barn – Mimi O’Bonsawin, Ariko, Rick Fines, and Terra Lightfoot
St. Paul’s Centre – Zachary Lucky, Kyla Charter, Birds of Bellwoods, and Suzie Vinnick
Orillia Opera House – Lydia Persaud, Coco Love Alcorn, Angelique Francis
Mariposa Folk Festival Artistic Director Liz Scott enthused, “There really is something for everyone in the Satellite Concerts lineup - longtime Mariposa favourites, established folk stars, and remarkable emerging talents.”
COVID-19 requirements for admission are as follows. Participants will need to provide digital or printed proof that they are fully vaccinated along with proof of identification. Individuals who cannot receive the vaccine due to medical exemptions will need to provide a doctor’s note until recognized medical exemptions can be integrated as part of a digital vaccine certificate. In addition, those with medical exemptions will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, within 48 hours of the scheduled show. Children born in 2010 or later, who are unable to be vaccinated, will be permitted to attend if accompanied by an adult who meets these COVID-19 requirements. Masks must be worn at all times. Removal of a mask is allowed as per provincial guidelines when you are eating, drinking, or for other medical needs.