Visitors get a taste of Norfolk at Fairgrounds Festival

Visitors took in the flavor of Norfolk — and some Canadian rock — on Saturday at the Fairgrounds Festival in Simcoe.

“We drove out specifically for this,” said Dan Jones of Toronto. “We read about it in the newspaper and heard about the bands. It’s a great way to spend a weekend.”

Jones and thousands of other fans of ’90s bands Finger Eleven, Sloan and Bif Naked crowded the Norfolk County Fairgrounds for the festival, an extension of the successful 2022 Norfolk Night Market.

More than a concert, the event featured artisan vendors, food trucks, a local beer and wine gardens and interactive games.

The Party on the Track Concerts are new this year, as part of the Amplify Norfolk initiative, meant to attract tourists to the county.

Headlining on Friday were Toronto rockers The Beaches and Dizzy, a band from Oshawa. A host of local performers also were on the bill both nights.

“It was really important to have local acts,” said Angie Hogeveen, general manager of the Norfolk County Agricultural Society, which presented the festival, in partnership with Amplify Norfolk.

“We want to show that Norfolk is more than just wineries, breweries and beaches, which are great. But we can also be a real entertainment destination.”

Hogeveen recalled British folk band Mumford & Sons’ wildly successful concert at the fairgrounds a decade ago when tens of thousands of people filled the town.

“We can get back to that level,” Hogeveen said of plans to grow the festival. “The goal was to plant the seed to do better, bigger things next year.”

Brad Nunn, president of the Norfolk Agricultural Society, said they are looking to make better year-round use of the fairgrounds.

“Our hope is that this spawns an annual event. You learn as you go. The board is always striving to change with the times.”

Nunn said money made from the festival is used to improve the fairgrounds.

Jeff Bunton, owner and head brewer of Concession Road Brewing Company, a craft brewery in Jarvis, was manning one of a line of booths showcasing locally-made beer, wine and cider.

Bunton left his job as a mechanical production operator for a multi-national company in 2018 to open Concession Road, located in the old volunteer firehall in Jarvis.

“Arguably, opening a brewery is a horrible financial decision,” said Bunton with a smile. “But it’s so much fun. I meet people from all walks of life from all over the world.”

Concession Road now offers more than 80 varieties of ales, lagers, sours, IPAs and seltzers.

Among the artisan vendors were those selling clothing, art, foods, spices, and jewelry.

Jody Winter was filling in at a booth for her friend Lee Ventoso, who owns and operates Amber Earth, a small-batch artisan aromatherapy company based out of Port Dover. It specializes in self-care aromatherapy products, including naturally-derived skincare, bath and body and handcrafted essential oil blends.

Although Hogeveen didn’t yet have a tally of the number of visitors to the Fairgrounds Festival, she said area hotels and camping sites reported they were running out of space.

“Some people were having trouble finding a place to stay. Next year, we may have to consider adding a campground.”