A.C. Music Festival a tribute to founder

In many ways this year’s A.C. Music Festival held in Gardenton Park June 7 will be similar to many of those that came before.

A wide range of amazing Manitoba bands will take to the stage, guests will settle in to enjoy almost 11 hours of live music and they’ll enjoy a canteen, beer garden and perogies and sausage dinners.

But there’s one aspect of the festival that is gone. Founder Joe Blair died last year, and his wife Rachel decide to forge ahead with the festival he loved.

The entire event is a tribute to Joe Blair, and Rachel said she knows he’d be proud to see it run.

Joe died on Dec. 17, less than two months after cancer was found on his liver.

Rachel said it was on her birthday, Oct. 29 that they were in hospital for what they thought was a simple gall bladder surgery.

Instead, it marked the beginning of the end of nearly 38 years of marriage and 41 years of being together for Joe and Rachel.

Honouring Joe at this year’s festival is a natural fit.

In fact, Joe got his start in song writing because of his relationship with Rachel.

“He started writing me poems when we first got married and I said, ‘You know, you could probably write songs,” she said. “And so, he started working with lyrics to songs.”

The first A.C. Music Festival took place in 2013 on the couple’s yard, after inspiration from their son and his girlfriend.

It moved to the Gardenton Park in 2016 and has been held there every year except for three years that were cancelled because of COVID.

“A.C.” in the festival name comes from the name of Joe’s company, Angel’s Cabin Song Publisher.

In a 2023 interview, Joe told The Carillon he started every festival the same way.

“Hello Gardenton. Live from the big and beautiful stage at the Gardenton Ukrainian Museum and Park, I welcome you to the A.C. Music Festival,” he said. “You know you’re there when you hear that.”

Rachel said she initially was not going to continue hosting the festival, but said Joe had already booked the bands.

The array of music this year includes Ray Moss, Brooke Page & The Rumbleseat, Gator Beaulieu, Generation Gap, Damn Straight and Stonewalled.

As this year’s event approaches, Rachel said she had one goal in mind.

“I want to make it very good for him,” she said. “I want him to be proud of what I’m doing.”

Those who’ve experienced the A.C. Music Festival in the past can expect much the same experience.

“Everything’s going to be the same, except I’ll probably be crying a lot,” Rachel admitted.

Her oldest son and friend will perform the onstage duties usually taken care of by Joe while lighting and other issues will be addressed by her youngest son.

The perogy supper is back for a second year, with Rachel saying it was a big hit.

In a typical year proceeds are split 50/50 between the Blairs to recoup their costs and the Gardenton Ukrainian Museum. This year the museum decided to donate all the proceeds to Rachel.

“We had a couple of hard years, so that’s nice,” she said. “I didn’t want them to do that, but they did.”

Before sponsors, which got on board last year, the financial outcome was always in doubt.

“Every year Joe and I would take $5,000 out of the bank out of our money and pay the bands and hopefully we’d make our money back,” she said. “If we did, we were happy. If we didn’t it was a learning experience. There were a lot of years we didn’t make money, but we always made sure Gardenton got some.”

Sponsors have made a big difference, and this year is no exception. Close to 30 have come together to help, and Rachel said they appreciate everyone.

Rachel is looking forward to the people aspect of the festival, checking in with neighbours and other festival goers. She said Joe also loved every minute of it.

“For him it was watching it all unfold and seeing the great acts,” she said. “He really looked forward to this day.”

Gates open on June 7 at 12 p.m. with shows running from 1 p.m. to midnight, rain or shine.

Tickets are $20 in advance or at the gate with children under 10 free. The perogy supper is $12.50 per plate.

For tickets or information contact Rachel at 204-427-2256.