By Will McGuirk
The Grand Dame of Festivals is living up to her billing this year with a festival top heavy with dames!
Womxn dominate the line-up and it is something to note as there are other big music gatherings which feature no diversity at all in their selection. Decades after Lilith Fair, sisters are still struggling to represent but Mariposa, as per usual, has it all in hand.
So who do we have at Tudhope Park in Orillia this upcoming July 7-9 in the year of 2023 Well, Feist, Tegan & Sara, KT Tunstall, the iconic Judy Collins, Martha Wainwright, Lucy Wainwright, Anna McGarrigle, Ammoye, Carsie Blanton, Jill Barber, Kalascima with Andrea Ramolo, Les Fireflies, Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar, OKAN, PIQSIQ, Sister Ray, STORRY, Tanika Charles, Terra Spencer, and the Weather Station, plus of course many bands with female members such as Melón Jiménez & Lara Wong, the Trials of Cato, the Vaudevillian, the McDades, Wild Rivers, Rural Alberta Advantage, Fast Romantics, and I, The Mountain.
I have had the good fortune to attend Mariposa for many years and I can't help but think this may be the best of the line-ups - it speaks so clearly to what makes Mariposa the longest running festival in Canada, it speaks to sustainability, to growth, to nurture and to nature. An incredible statement.
As for the guys? Of course the brothers are welcome. Among them, Jeremy Dutcher, Danny Michel, HORSEBATH, Rufus Wainwright, Spencer Burton. One to note is the Paul Langois Band. This is a rare outing for the Tragically Hip member who doesn’t play that many shows at all, probably could count them on one hand really.
The Main Stage schedule has been announced already;
Friday: Mountain City Four ft. Anna McGarrigle & Peter Weldon with special guest Martha Wainwright, Wild Rivers, The Wood Brothers, Matt Andersen & the Big Bottle of Joy
Saturday: Tim Baker, KT Tunstall, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Tegan and Sara
Sunday: Jeremy Dutcher, Judy Collins, Rufus Wainwright, Feist
There are several other stages throughout the festival site of course with schedules forthcoming. There’s also the kid’s area, the artisan village, food trucks, camping, the VW Van gathering, so much, and so great, or rather, so grand!