Action-packed season

There’s no need to leave Thunder Bay for a festival experience this summer – just head to Fort William Historical Park.

Rendezvous with Italy, a free celebration of everything Italian, and Retrofest, a nostalgic musical look back at the 1950s with the likes of Bill Medley and the Temptations will highlight the June calendar, while the Celtic Fair Festival starring Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster will be a must-see event in late July.

Park general manager Sergio Buonocore said it’s all about positioning the facility as the lead tourist attraction in Northwestern Ontario.

“We’ll have many experiences,” he said. “The idea is to draw people to Thunder Bay. And if we have a lot of experiences to offer, it will make it a lot more attractive to bring people in from Minneapolis and Winnipeg and southern Ontario because you can come here and spend one or two days and have all kinds of different things you can do.”

The summer of fun kicks off on June 11 and 12 when Rendezvous with Italy takes centre stage, bringing together a mix of Canadian and Italian culture, food and music, complete with camping for those who want to make it a weekend affair.

Staged in conjunction with all 26 of the city’s Italian groups, the festival’s musical highlights include Italians Riccardo Fogli, Nick Celentano and Tia Amo and North American favourites like the Powder Blues Band, Doug and the Slugs and Kenny Shields and Streetheart, staples of Canadian classic rock radio.

A week later it’s Retrofest’s turn.

“We’ll go back in time to the days of Grease and the Fonz and really celebrate the ‘50s and ‘60s.”

Then on July 23 and 24 McMaster, the Navigators and McInnis Kitchen bring a touch of Celtic pride to Thunder Bay.

“We’re going to celebrate Scottish and Irish history,” Buonocore said.

Admission will be charged for the latter two festivals.