It’s a warm summer night, and Adele Bird is sitting on a blanket soaking up the live music at Laurentian Ski Hill’s “Music on the Slopes” outdoor concert.
“I think it’s really fun, and for an affordable price ($10), what can go wrong, right? It’s nice and enjoyable, the music is cool. I’m a younger person myself, I’m in my early 20’s, and I love this type of music, so it’s perfect,” said Bird.
Paul Pruneau and The Journeymen, Wills and Waxxie and The Brian Risk Band performed in front of an appreciative crowd.
Michael Elzinga has spent time on the hill in the winter, but it was a first for the off-season.
“I think it was a great idea because the view is spectacular, and there’s a lot of people here. I haven’t been up here since I was a kid when I used to snowboard. I went to school as a student of Brian Risk, so that’s what brought me out today. I wanted to come and check out his music again. It’s great.”
Laurentian Ski Hill general manager Cam Graham heard of other hills having success doing something similar, so it seemed worth a try.
“The three local bands played classic rock, and they seemed to be appealing to the crowd. Boy, they can play,” said Graham.
“The turnout was as good as I could hope. We were hoping for between 300 and 500 for the day and we’ve exceeded that.”
The six hour event had plenty of options to keep the children busy, from face painting to bubbles to games to a nature hike.
“I’m seeing kids I’m used to seeing out here on the hill running around in snowsuits, and I’m seeing tonight in shorts and t-shirts. But I’m also seeing all kinds of young families I don’t recognize, and older folks I haven’t seen in a long time. So it’s great.”
