At long last, the news is here! The 17th Annual MUSICwestport Arts & Music Open Air Festival returns on the third weekend of August! Some changes have been made, but the Westport Art Council is excited to bring you another edition of the always popular and ever entertaining midsummer festival.

As has been tradition in the past, the Friday night before the festival, Friday, August 15 will continue as the kick-off party! Bringing the best in live outdoor warm weather musical vibes is Toronto’s The Human Rights feat. Friendlyness, formally of Canada’s great reggae rock giants Big Sugar. This band channels Roots Reggae in the 2020s as good as anyone. So good that they won the “Reggae North 2024 Group of the Year Award”! The Cove waterside patio will be bumping when they rock the stage from 6:00-9:00. Call The Cove for resos 613.273.3636! Tickets are for the show and to support MUSICwestport.

On Saturday, August 16, it’s festival day with MUSICwestport at The Cove Inn stage, 2 Bedford Street, Westport.

1:00pm Dennis Bouwman (alt-Folk/Country, Kingston): A true blue colour songsmith. Bouwman writes and sings with a gritty honesty rarely seen these days. Be it with or without his band, Bouwman’s combination of heart-wrenching lyrics, warm melodies, and a voice like the bottom 10 pipes on a church organ is sure to captivate you and make you feel.

2:30 pm Carlo (Groovy Surfer Rock, Ottawa/Toronto): Whether they’re described as throwbacks to a more innocent time in music—or so hip it hurts—Carlo is simply a great band. Drawing equally from surf rock, Link Wray, Ennio Morricone and Booker T & The MGs, the all-original Toronto/Ottawa instrumental combo has firmly embedded itself on the scene with an album guaranteed to make any situation you’re in a lot cooler.

4:00 pm Joan Smith & The Jane Does (Alternative Rock, Toronto): Praised by Great Dark Wonder for their authentic hard rock sound, they’ve quickly earned a place in the alt rock landscape. Their debut album, “Do Me Some Harm”, was produced by band member Tom Juhas and mixed by Alain Johannes (Queens of the Stone Age, Them Crooked Vultures). Smith, she of “towering pipes and a remarkable dirty guitar tone” (torontomusicreviews.com), and guitarist/producer Tom Juhas form the Jane Does – a female fronted dance rock machine with cutting vocals that amp up to the edge of sanity, pulsing rock beats and relentless guitars which remind noted radio personality and music historian Jeff Woods of ‘Queens of the Stone Age and Stevie Nicks’. That comparison is no coincidence – The Jane Does have packed Toronto’s Legendary Horseshoe Tavern multiple times covering QOTSA’s ‘Songs for the Deaf’ along with ‘Lullabies to Paralyze’ in their entirety, and their work with Alain Johannes on “Do Me Some Harm” exemplifies this influence.

5:30 pm Mikhail Laxton (Americana/Retro Soul, Ottawa/Australia): In 2020, Mikhail Laxton was set to open the next chapter of his life. Having moved from Australia to Ottawa upon marrying the love of his life, he had landed a record deal and made his debut EP, Real, a collection of Soul-folk gems reflecting that whirlwind transition period. But what should have been the wider world’s introduction to Mikhail’s immense talent, already established in his homeland through appearances on Australia’s version of The Voice, was lost in the cacophony of pandemic confusion. He started to write songs about his aboriginal background instead of those that appease the music industry. In 2021, he released a record produced by Aaron Goldstein (Lee Harvey Osmond, Daniel Romano) which channels a sound like Otis Redding’s “Dock Of The Bay.” His next record, headed in the direction of Americana, deep country-Soul, vintage R&B and driving rock.

Don’t forget to bring a blanket or fold-up chair to sit on! Admission is by free will offering to the festival and is also generously supported by many local businesses and patrons. Thank you so much for your support! You know who you are!

Adding to the town’s street side music will be the Wandering Minstrels/Buskers. Throughout the afternoon, catch these three diverse yet familiar faces to the Westport music scene. The old-time folk sound of Jon McLurg from Kingston’s East Coast icons, Turpin’s Trail at Westport United Church. The classic country of local Henry Norwood at The Harbour. And bluesy folk troubadour and Westport native, Tom Savage at Lake Effects/Jake by the Lake.

Added to the scene and expanding on the arts are host of other venues and an artistic mix or offerings around town.

Artists Alley + One-of-a-Kind Art on the Street Muskoka Chairs at The Harbour from 11:00-3:00pm.

Story Tellers at Rideau District Museum from 11:00-1:00 pm.

Lockwood Park will continue to be lively with some activity for the whole family. Don’t miss the face painters and a magician at 1:00 pm, face painters and an indigenous hoop dancer at 2:00 pm, and cloggers at 3:00pm!

The Carriage Museum at 20 Rideau St. will also be open from 1:00-3:00 pm.

Also as in years past, there will be an After Hours party at The Cove Inn. For the third year in a row, Toronto’s amazing 90s/00s alternative grunge rock band, Generator Party, will deliver their rock 'n roll sermon from 8:00-11:00 pm. Call The Cove Inn for reservations or drop in!

Enjoy the annual festival and thank you to all of the volunteers and supporters who make it possible!

More information on MUSICwestport here: web link Posted: Aug 11, 2025