THUNDER BAY – The annual Bay & Algoma Busker’s Festival has been cancelled for a third consecutive year, and festival coordinator Brian Hamilton says business owners who help run it didn't have the time to help put it on.
“The Busker’s Festival organizing committee is made up primarily of local business owners, you know, many of which are really enduring a post COVID economy,” he said.
“So, we are struggling with staff shortages and rising food costs and the rest of it, which actually requires that many of us are kind of stuck in our businesses and aren’t able to really deliver that volunteer capacity required to throw the exceptional event that Busker’s is.”
While many residents might feel disappointed that Busker’s Festival has been cancelled again, Hamilton says the organizing committee will use the year as another opportunity to grow.
“Every year is a learning opportunity, but primarily, and what we’ve been doing over the last few years is really building up the brand and the event,” he said.
“And really showing to our sponsors, and vendors, and specifically to our sponsors and performers, that we will indeed hold ourselves to a really high standard and maintain our high-quality presence in the community.”
Hamilton also says that they do plan to try to hold smaller events like block parties to try to rejuvenate the neighbourhood in a post-COVID economy.
“I look forward to building, you know, some smaller events and bringing some kind of more localized traffic. Indeed, we are, you know, in the Bay and Algoma neighbourhood, business as usual, and, in fact, it’s a great neighbourhood to visit right now,” he said.
