Home County Music and Art Festival returns with single-day summer event

The Home County Folk League (HCFL) has scheduled a one-day event to reflect the spirit of London's oldest music festival, which has been cancelled this year.  

The Home County Music and Art Festival first launched in 1974 and ran for almost 50 years in downtown's Victoria Park, hosting hundreds of Canadian musicians including Valdy and William Prince. In October, organizers announced they couldn't go forward with the 2024 edition due to financial constraints, and would be evaluating the viability of future events. The day of live music in August is now set to raise money for a possible return. 

"We're not charging a fee and we're just hoping that lots of people come out for a little while to listen to some good music, have something to drink, perhaps something to eat," said HCFL treasurer Paul Tomlinson. "We're hoping to have some food trucks there as well and just have a good time."

A lineup of local musicians is currently in the works, said Tomlinson. Organizers are recruiting vendors for the event at the London Brewing Co-op on Burbrook Place in the city's Old East Village.

In the past, the festival ran on donations, public arts funding and vendor fees, and operated as a registered charity. Admission for this summer's single-day event will be pay-what-you-can, with all proceeds going to the Home County Future Fund, Tomlinson said. 

"That's money that we'll hold in reserve to help us fund future events like this one and perhaps even bigger and more frequent," said Tomlinson. 

HCFL members, many of them lovers of folk music, are highly enthusiastic to keep the festival going, he said, even though it's still hard to say what that will look like at this point. 

Home County was an event for people of all ages and all means, he added. 

"No charge, no barriers, all were welcome," said Tomlinson. "There was a lot of variety music, lots of different kinds of food, beautiful artistic and craft merchandise available just to look at or to buy if you wish.  It was a nice time in the park. People really, really enjoyed it and that mattered." 

Gates will open at noon with live music running from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on August 24.