Country musician Rik Reese rocks out in the party-like atmosphere of the Cavendish Beach Music Festival’s kitchen stage. After 10 years of keeping festival-goers entertained, Reese holds the record for the most performances at the festival. - Desiree Anstey/SaltWire Network fileNORTH RUSTICO, P.E.I. — A proposal to hold a “rock-leaning” music festival in Cavendish one week after the Cavendish Beach Music Festival drew varied opinions from business owners and residents on Monday night.
Whitecap Entertainment runs the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, a country music festival that attracted a younger crowd of over 20,000 last summer.But unlike the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, Murphy said, the Sommo Festival would target older, more “rock-leaning” festivalgoers, likely in their mid-to-late 30’s.
Murphy said the July 14-15 weekend is the date proposed because of one act that “fit the brand” of the festival had suggested this date. Sandi Lowther, owner of the Fairway Cottages, said she would support a new music festival if it were held in the fall shoulder season. But she said holding the festival July 14-15 would jeopardize the traditional family focus of Cavendish’s tourism market. - Stu Neatby/SaltWire Network
"We truly support further use of that events ground. But we absolutely, adamantly oppose anything that disrupts the weeklong family stays," Lowther said. "I'm telling you it's not going to work in the middle of July. But it sure will work end of August, into September." Other concerns were raised about additional police resources, public drinking and high ticket prices at the Cavendish Beach Music Festival.Resort Municipality Mayor Matthew Jelley read a letter from Doug Horner, who lives in North Rustico behind the CBMF fairgrounds. Horner, who recently moved from Winnipeg, said that festival has proved itself to be a “feather in the cap” of Cavendish that has brought many people to the region.