The 19th Annual Northern Ontario Open Country Singing Contest will be a free stand alone event this year in Lee Park August 24th to the 26th.
The 19th Annual Northern Ontario Open Country Singing Contest will be a free stand alone event this year in Lee Park August 24th to the 26th.
Officials made the announcement Thursday at the Best Western but as spokesperson Harley Renaud said the event may be free but somebody has to pay for it, and so the committee is appealing to the public for support.
“We need the financial support from the public as well. It doesn’t matter if it’s how small a donation it is, if they want to make one that’d be great,” he says.
“We also need the support for them to come out and support it on the weekend. We usually have enormous crowds there and I estimate that we’re probably going to have bigger crowds this year.”
Over the years the calibre of talent has grown and so has the fan base, which has made a strong business case for the committee to host the event outside of the Heritage Festival umbrella. This year the committee decided was the time to strike out on their own, but in order to make it a success they need to raise $40,000.
“I’m confident that it’s going to go.”
“A couple of years ago we did actually try to with the city’s go ahead to make it a stand alone event because it was growing so great that we didn’t have room for people especially with the Midway,” he explains.
“We didn’t have the room for all the people, so we thought it would grow at that time, we didn’t make our financial goal at that time so we couldn’t go. Last year we did go back with the Heritage Festival in hopes of maybe trying to get it out on our own.”
Renaud says the set up of the event will return to its early roots in the shade of Lee Park with a few vendors, free admission and fun for the whole family.
“Right now we are concentrating on the contest and making sure that it is a success and gets out there.”
“As long as we get the support from the businesses and the people I would like to keep it free for the people all the time. I mean that’s the way it was always before and everybody enjoyed that fact especially the people that can’t afford it the people that are handicapped,” he adds.
To make a donation, help out with an event or enter the contest contact Harley at 474-0776 or by email at
[email protected]
