The first family friendly music festival found its way to Cold Lake last Thursday. The Sonshine Music Festival provided fans with a place to sit, eat and enjoy the music. However, many in the crowd stayed standing the whole time.
Keeping the crowd on their feet were the bands Dekel, Jason Zerbin, the Junkyard Poets and festival headliners, Hawk Nelson.
Hawk Nelson front man Jason Dunn said earlier in the day that the band, which hails from Scarborough, Ont., was excited to play in Cold Lake at the first family friendly music festival. “It should be a really nice night tonight, it should be fun,” said Dunn.
Dunn added the festival was going to be a special event for the people of Cold Lake and could start something new. “And if it does start something, I certainly hope they ask us to come back and play here again.”
Sarah Buerger, originally from the Northwest Territories and just recently moved to Cold Lake, is a self-proclaimed huge fan of Hawk Nelson. But she said the whole festival had been great. “It's been so much fun, we're enjoying all the music.”
Buerger, like many others in the crowd, came to the festival with a crew of family and friends. “I brought my parents, two younger sisters, one older sister, and two friends, and we are all having a great time.”
She explained that it is a really good family event because the music is fun and lacks the vulgarity much of the mainstream music now contains. When asked if she would come to the same festival next year, she responded, “Oh ya, I would absolutely love to come back next year.”
The festival, although clearly not filled to capacity, had a large crowd, many of whom could be seen dancing in front of the stage, while others just sat back in their lawn chairs and enjoyed the show.
The afternoon was kicked off with a barbecue, followed by the bands hitting the stage, and entertaining the crowd until about 10 p.m.
Many in the crowd were impressed by the overall event and expressed a desire for something like this again next year.
Noella Lapointe came to the festival with her cousin and her friend. “Certainly I would come again,” she said. “Next year I would bring my grandchildren though.” She explained that they would have had a great time and that her grandson wants to be in a band himself.
Many of the bands made themselves accessible before and after their sets, which was appreciated by the audience.
Peter Mol of the Junkyard Poets said he really enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere at the festival and would love to play in in the area again. He said the show “went really well, it was really fun.”
Mol added, “The crowd was really receptive.” “Anyone and everyone can have the time of their life at our shows.”
