What does a Sappy future look like?

We know this community is full of great ideas, and we want to hear them! What is important to you about SappyFest? How would you like to contribute? What would you like to see happen?

We got together IRL on November 28th to dream big. But we wanted to make sure everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts with us, so we made this survey: Sappy Futures Google Form

Sappy has been hard at work with exciting and innovative programming continuing through pandemic lockdowns, lightning storms, and economic recessions. We are committed to keeping this festival community-driven and we want to create an opportunity for local folks to have their say. We’d like to keep the conversation forward-looking and hopeful, so while we know there will be gripes and grumbles, we want to know what could be done to tickle your fancies. 

Some things you can weigh in on here: community engagement, artists and performers, venues, local businesses, kids programming, and more! Answer one question or all of them. Be as thorough or as short with your responses as you like.

As a thank you for taking the time to respond, you can be entered to win a pass to Sappy19. Enter your name and e-mail at the end of the form.

We look forward to hearing from you!

xo Team Sappy

THANK YOU TO ROTARY CLUB OF SACKVILLE FOR SUPPORTING KIDS CORNER POWER JAM!

Another Sappyfest is in the books! We were so thrilled to welcome The Drama Queenz and Deadly Latté to the stage the first day of the festival for their big debuts. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to The Rotary Club of Sackville for financially supporting Sappyfest’s Kids Corner Power Jam and encouraging a new generation of artists and to Alex Thomas, KCPJ’s fearless leader who mentored and supported 11 incredible youth in the 5 days leading up to Sappyfest.

Image 1: Deadly Latté performing live on the Bridge Street Stage at Sappyfest 18, with Alex Thomas at the helm.

Image 2: A hand-drawn sign advertising Deadly Latté’s Sappyfest performance. Poster says: “Deadly Latté in concert at the Sappyfest main stage. Friday, 6:45 pm.” The poster has a drawing of a drumset on it, with an angry latte sitting on a nearby coffee table and saying “grrrr.”

Image 3: The Rotary Club of Sackville sign sitting outside the parking lot entrance to Sackville United Church on a sunny day.

SAPPYFEST DAY 3! ONE LAST HURRAH!

Sappy Day 3! They say all good things come in threes. A full and energizing program for our third and final day together, growing and evolving, figuring it out as we go!

Our sweet friends at the Sackville United Church are throwing their doors open wide for a Pancake Breakfast from 9:00 - 11:00 am! Free for all. Share in food and community!

Head to the Chester Cole Memorial Ball Field for 11:30 am High Integrity Interval Training. Hustle for the muscle with Aquakultre, Fiver and Nathan Doucet. Original electronic music. Work out, or just stand or sit and drink Gatorade for free. Bring sunscreen, bug spray, a towel or yoga mat, a hat, sunglasses, and your chronic injuries. Suitable for all people!

Join Special Costello for the second installment of the Surround Sound Kiosk at Waterfowl Park off of Weldon Street from 10 am - 1 pm, generously presented by Struts Gallery. Speaking of Struts, exhibitions are on all day! Over and Over returns. Visit  from 12-5 pm.

Drop in at the Owens Art Gallery anytime from 1-5 pm to browse their selection of Sappyfest-themed zines from their Teeny Tiny Zine Library, featuring local artists and Sappy dreamers.

Doors open at the main stage at 1:00 pm. Universal Dawn, our annual literary and exhibition series, starts at 1:30, featuring works by Freddy Smith, Jenna Lyn Albert and Sophia Lawrence. Poems and art can make many things happen. Come see for yourself!

At 2:50 pm, Écarlate Musique moves us with their heartfelt lyrics. Then,  Piner, wanderer and old soul, helps us connect to the greater human experience. 

The tent closes at 4:30, giving you another chance to peruse goods, wares and delicious food from our fantastic vendors at the Sappy Street Market. Then, make sure to hit Bill Johnstone Memorial Park and join in a collective project of singing with Love Songs to End Colonization, repurposing popular love songs to dismantle settler colonialism. 

The Bridge Street tent opens back up at 7:00 pm. Caged Animals puts us underneath their spell. XIA-3 bring the house down with a post-rock meets guzheng performance. Witch Prophet offers us a trip-hop soundscape like no other. Aquakultre shows us a good time while standing for his truth and his community.

The tent closes up at midnight, but don’t fret: before you all wander back, see Julie Doiron with Special Guess at the Sackville Legion for an incredible show to wrap up the festival. One last hurrah! We’ll race you there!

Photo by Kheaven Brasier

SAPPYFEST DAY 2 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Sappy Saturday may be a rainy one, but we press on together! A full day of programming awaits under and around the tent:

The ever-popular Sappyfest Zine & Craft Fair returns! A parade of new and returning makers. Zinesters, poets, photographers, beaders, and makers of all kinds rejoice! Head to the upper floor of the Legion anytime from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.

On the first floor of the Legion at 12:15 pm, Moncton shoegaze band Tea 4 Three brings the noise. Toronto band Mother Tongues, playing their first of two Saturday shows, gives Sackville the cyberpunk edge we all need.

At Struts Gallery, Over and Over enters its second day of exhibition from 12-5 pm. How do we perform memory as we revisit memorabilia? Explore treasured and mundane objects on display. 

Doors to the tent open at 1 PM. Make your way to the stage for 1:30 to hear Jing Xia's stunning, moving guzheng performance. Then, Flour draws us in: an angry invitation to sway together amidst disaster. Nico Paulo touches hearts deeply with lush harmonies and sophisticated pop arrangements.

The tent closes at 4:30 pm so we can prep for our evening show. Head over to Struts Gallery for Untitled Peter Tripp Project presented by Bundon Pfeifer Henderson, born in contemplation of a publicity stunt from 60 years ago. Hungry? As you wander back to the tent, grab delicious food and find new clothes, crafts, and treats sold by our amazing vendors at the Sappy Street Market!

Doors open at 7:30 pm. At 8:15, Bridge Street comes to life with a solo set by Matty Grace from Halifax punk band Cluttered. Playing their second show of the day, Mother Tongues peer into the future—it's queer, it's goth, it's freedom, and everyone is wearing eyeliner. Fiver and the Atlanticks Official share chaotic reinterpretations from Simone Schmidt's catalogue: wide net, no misses. By Divine Right closes the night with psych-infused art-pop magic. 

Sun or showers, we gather at the marsh! SAPPY DAY 2! C'EST PARTI!

Zine & Craft Fair Illustration by Patrick Allaby

Photos by Kheaven Brasier

SATURDAY SCHEDULE/VENUE CHANGES

Hope you’ve been having a magical first night in the swamp! Due to inclement weather, we have some date and time changes for tomorrow morning’s program:

• High Integrity Interval Training with Aquakultre, Fiver and Nathan Doucet has been moved to 11:30 am on Sunday, August 6th. Still taking place at the Chester Cole Memorial Ball Field: location remains the same!

• Tea 4 Three and Mother Tongues’ Saturday noontime shows have been moved to the Royal Canadian Legion. The time remains the same! Come on out and hear them shred at 12:15 pm!

We appreciate your understanding and support!

SAPPYFEST DAY 1!

HAPPY SAPPY to one and all! Bridge Street is closed and the tent is up. This is the time when the marsh sings. So many exciting things going on today! 

Our friends at Struts Gallery are having a welcome and fundraising BBQ at noon today! Stop by for a local beef burger and a local veggie dog. Also starting at noon is Struts’ exhibition of Over and Over by Donnalee Downe and Ahmon Katz.

Doors open at 6 pm for our evening show. Opening at 6:45 are young Sackville thespians The Drama Queenz and the powerhouse rockers from Kids Corner Power Jam, who are getting ready for their world premiere. Joce Reyome leads you through love, humour, and heartbreak. Shotgun Jimmie offers us a little Swamp Magic when we need it most. Love Language transports us to your favourite 90s teen movie. Sluice delivers crunchy Par-en-Bas powerpop.

At midnight, the Sackville Legion buzzes with great performances from Flacko Finesse, electrifying hip-hop artist from Pabineau First Nation, and He/She/They, queer Broadway punk wonders with a love for xylophones.

Get your tickets here: https://www.sappyfest.com/tickets SEE YOU THERE!

SAPPYFEST 18 ROUNDS OUT LINEUP WITH NEW ADDITIONS

We’re never quite done, always finding room to grow! We are happy to unveil a host of additions to our lineup of musicians, performers, artists, writers, and experiences.

Cluttered, Écarlate Musique, Flacko Finesse, He/She/They, Jing Xia, Joce Reyome, Piner, Tea 4 Three, and XIA-3 join our musical lineup alongside Aquakultre, By Divine Right, Caged Animals, Fiver and the Atlanticks Official, Flour, Love Language, Mother Tongues, Nico Paulo, Shotgun Jimmie, Sluice, and Witch Prophet while Special Costello, Donnalee Downe, and Ahmon Katz join Peter Morin, Jimmie Kilpatrick, and Bundon Pfeifer Henderson generously presented by Struts Gallery. Our annual literary series, Universal Dawn, will feature readings by Jenna Lyn Albert, Sophia Lawrence, and Freddy Smith, rounding out offerings from Matt Horseman, Jadyn Klassen, and High Integrity Interval Training with Aquakultre, Fiver & Nathan Doucet! 

And don’t forget about Sappyfest staples Sappy Karaoke, the Sappy Street Market, the Sappy Post, and the Zine & Craft Fair! 

Browse our website for weekend passes, day passes, artist info, the schedule, and to book your accommodations! 

RETRO SPACE DANCE PARTY @ SACKVILLE LEGION!

Calling all Sackville locals and passers-through! Sappy friend Melissa Morris is hosting a RETRO SPACE DANCE PARTY in support of Sappyfest! Dress up (or not!) in your most interstellar attire, gather at the Sackville Legion, and dance your little green heart out! There will be prizes for best costume!

• DATE/TIME: July 28 @ 8:00 PM

• LOCATION: The Royal Canadian Legion (15 Lorne St, Sackville, NB)

• PWYC donation encouraged (but not mandatory!)

Poster by Melissa Morris

SACKVILLE CURLING CLUB VENDOR MARKET FUNDRAISER + SAPPY VENDORS WANTED!

While you’re browsing crafts, wares, trinkets, and all manner of goods sold by our amazing vendors at the Sappy Street Market, be sure to make your way over to our friends at the Curling Club’s vintage market fundraiser! Browse their vendors’ vintage fashions, games, vinyl and art on Sunday, August 6 during Sappyfest weekend! Drop in anytime from 10 AM to 5 PM. $2 cover charge.

By the way: if you’re a vintage seller, today is the last day to apply for a table at the Curling Club Vintage Market! $40 a table - email sackvillecurlingclubrental@gmail.com for more info. And we still have a few vendor spots left at Sappy, so if you’re looking for a full weekend of vending OR single days, check out our vendors page on our website: https://www.sappyfest.com/vendors!

DAY PASSES ON SALE NOW

Are you unable to make it for the whole weekend of Sappyfest, but really looking forward to seeing your all-time favourite artist or discovering your new favourite? Daily passes are on sale now! Head over to sappyfest.com/tickets to grab yours. Check out the 2023 artists page to see when folks are playing and plan your Sappy weekend! Stay tuned for some exciting and final lineup and schedule announcements coming later this week!

Photo by Corey Isenor

IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Kierrah sings onstage to an excited crowd at Sappyfest 17, pointing one finger up in the air.

SAPPY TRIVIA @ BAGTOWN BREWING COMPANY!

Did you know that each week, Bagtown Brewing Company collects donations for local non-profit organizations through their summer trivia series? Thank you to the folks over at Bagtown for inviting us over for Sappy Trivia, taking place July 19th!

• Doors: open @ 5 PM

• Trivia: 7 PM - 9 PM

• Cover: $2 PWYC donation

There will be 3 rounds of 10 questions each. The first and last rounds will be general trivia: then, test your knowledge of Sappyfest’s 18 years of lore during the Sappy-themed second round. Grab your friends and take your shot at winning a drink voucher for each team member (max 6)! Another huge hearty thank you to the folks at Bagtown, and we’ll see you next Wednesday!

KIDS CORNER POWER JAM Sign-Up!

Sappyfest’s legendary KIDS CORNER POWER JAM returns for the first time since 2019 from July 31st-August 4th, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm at the Sackville United Church. The camp is open to kids between the ages of 8-14 at a sliding scale cost of $25-$50.00 to offset the cost of instrument rentals and other supplies. Campers will explore music together, jam out, and showcase the fun they’ve had by opening Sappyfest’s main stage on Friday, August 4th! Activities include: FORMING A BAND! SONGWRITING! CREATIVE EXPRESSION! The camp will be led by the amazing Alex Thomas!

To register, fill out the form here. For more information or questions, please contact Caitlin at productionassistant@sappyfest.com or stop by our office at CHMA in the Wallace McCain Student Centre, 60 York Street Monday-Friday, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm.

Are you in need of a place to stay during Sappyfest 18? Book your room at Mount Allison University!

Are you in need of a place to stay during Sappyfest 18? Rest easy, weary friends: Mount Allison University residence rooms are available for booking. They offer affordable rates, wireless internet, and cozy rooms—all within a kilometre radius of the festival grounds, local restaurants, shops, and businesses, so that you don’t have to miss out on any of the action. Visit the link below to reserve your rooms now!

Booking link: https://shorturl.at/CHJT2

PLACE AN AD IN SAPPYFEST 18'S PROGRAM BOOK!

Advertising with Sappyfest is a great way for your business or organization to reach audiences, residents, and visitors (including artists and crew!) interested in unique goods, services, and experiences. The Sappyfest program book is an artfully designed guide to the festival and region, and is distributed widely for free. It's a great example of how businesses and art organizations can creatively work together to support one another. By purchasing an ad in our program book, you are directly supporting a non-profit and volunteer-driven arts organization while reaching an engaged and thoughtful audience! 

For specs, sizing, pricing, details, and deadlines, click here!  

We also have a variety of cash and in-kind sponsorship packages that include advertisement placement in the program book. If you’d like to learn more or have an idea, send us an email at festivaloperations@sappyfest.com!  

CALL FOR ZINE AND CRAFT FAIR PARTICIPANTS

Calling all  zinesters, printmakers, publishers, writers, cartoonists, and crafters! The Sappyfest Zine and Craft Fair is back! Book a table to sell your handcrafted and original zines, prints, artwork, and more. The fair will take place at The Royal Canadian Legion from 11:00am - 4:00pm on Saturday, August 5th. We welcome and encourage all artists to apply - we cannot wait to see your amazing work! Please find information on registration, fees, and other details here! Looking forward to seeing you!

Photo of @projectzzine at last year’s Sappyfest Zine and Craft Fair!

SAPPYFEST 18 - SECOND LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT

We are delighted to share that old friends Aquakultre, Caged Animals, Fiver and the Atlanticks Official, Matt Horseman, and Shotgun Jimmie will join us for Sappyfest 18, sharing new works and new iterations, along with new friends Peter Morin, Johanna Bundon, Jayden Pfeifer, Lee Henderson, and Jadyn Klassen as our imaginative festival visual artist, who draws inspiration from the lore of the swamp. These incredible artists join previously announced By Divine Right, Flour, Love Language, Mother Tongues, Nico Paulo, Sluice, and Witch Prophet.

Sappyfest 18 will feature several interactive art projects throughout the weekend. High Integrity Interval Training with Aquakultre, Fiver, Nathan Doucet, and Bonks the Water Boy brings the expertise of a combined 20 years of doing video workouts to guide participants of all ages and abilities through a one-hour workout set to original electronic music. Bring your yoga mat, water bottle, and chronic injuries to the Chester Cole Memorial Ball Field! 

It’s Always Nice to Come Home is a retrospective exhibition of film photographs taken at Sappyfest over several years presented by photographer Matt Horseman. The collection will debut at Sappyfest 18.

In partnership with Struts Gallery, we are honoured to co-present Love Songs to End Colonization by Tahltan Nation artist Peter Morin & interdisciplinary artist Jimmie Kilpatrick (aka Shotgun Jimmie), which repurposes popular love songs to dismantle and confront settler colonialism by inviting participants to perform these love songs and contribute to this collective project of singing. Also in partnership with Struts Gallery, Sappyfest 18 will feature the Untitled Peter Tripp Project, a sprawling live performance piece by Struts Gallery Summer Artists in Residence Johanna Bundon, Jayden Pfeifer, and Lee Henderson.  In 1959, DJ Peter Tripp broadcast for 201 hours without sleep from a booth in Times Square, breaking a world record while sacrificing his grip on reality. UPTP uses strange fragments of narrative with Tripp's publicity stunt as their springboard, exploring desperation, fame, hallucination, exhaustion, the connective promise of pop music, and the absent body of the radio broadcaster.  

Visit our artist page to learn more about these special people and projects!

Early Bird Pass sales end on Tuesday, June 20th at 11:59pm AST.  LIMITED NUMBER OF EARLY BIRD PASSES REMAIN, SO GRAB YOURS BEFORE THEY SELL OUT! 

And don't forget - we're looking for billet hosts, volunteers, and vendors! 

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS AND BILLETS

Volunteers and Billet hosts are the heart of Sappyfest. You are the reason things run smoothly and that everyone from audiences to artists are happy, comfortable, fed, and having fun!

Volunteers are needed for a variety of crews, including bar, box office, band food, doors, merchandise, stage support, recycling, transportation, site set-up, band food, artist hospitality, the safety squad, and more!

Billet hosts are needed to provide a clean, comfortable and safe place for artists to sleep so they can put their best work forward. Each year we rely on the kindness of Sackville residents who open their homes to visiting artists, fulfilling a crucial role!

If you'd like to volunteer your time or space in exchange for tickets, sign up here!

CALL FOR VENDORS

We are excited to invite vendors to participate in Sappyfest 18 this August 4th-6th, 2023. The Sappy Street Market is an essential component of the festival experience, and it provides an opportunity for guests to check out regional food, craft, and product in the heart of downtown Sackville, NB. Our market will run all weekend on Bridge Street at our main festival grounds. If you're interested in selling food or other goods Sappyfest, please find rates, details, and a registration form here!

SAPPYFEST 18 - FIRST LINE-UP ANNOUNCEMENT!

With so much excitement, we are thrilled to share a sneak peek of artists with you! By Divine Right, Flour, Love Language, Mother Tongues, Nico Paulo, Sluice and Witch Prophet will join us for Sappyfest 18 this August 4th-6th, 2023, in Sackville, NB. Visit our lineup page to learn more about these incredible artists and visit our ticket page to purchase your Early Bird pass! Early Bird’s are $139.60 (taxes and fees included) and are available until they sell out. We’re over half way there so grab yours soon! 

In addition to Early Bird passes, we have a special limited edition print taken by Matt Horseman at Sappyfest 17 available for purchase on its own or as a ticket add-on. Thank you to Matt for supporting this important fundraiser!

We are delighted to share that Sappyfest 18’s visual artist is Jadyn Klassen. We can’t wait to show you all that Jadyn has dreamed up over the next weeks and months! 

We have so much fulfilling work ahead - connecting with artists for continued programming, volunteers, organizers, community members, supporters, and partners - and so much more to share with you in the coming weeks. This is the beginning!  

Sappyfest 18 Early Bird Weekend Passes & Limited Edition Print on sale now!

Sappyfest 18 - August 4th-6th, 2023 - Sackville, NB

Hello friends! As we work towards another special in-person festival this summer, we are excited to share that Early Bird Weekend Passes for Sappyfest 18, taking place August 4th-6th, 2023 in Sackville, NB are on sale now! Passes are $115 + tax and fees.  Limited quantities are available, so get them while you can! In addition to Early Bird passes, we’re delighted to launch the sale of a special limited edition Sappyfest print by Matt Horseman, taken at Sappyfest 17 and featured here. Prints are $56.52 + tax and fees and can be purchased on their own or as a ticket add-on. For full details on early bird passes, prints, and event info head on over to our ticket/merch page!

We can’t wait to share more with you in the coming weeks and months!

Matt Horseman is a photographer and writer based in Nova Scotia. His work explores devotion, human relationships, memory, and time. He released his first monograph, Two Rivers, in 2020, and was nominated for the National Gallery of Canada’s New Generation Photography Award in 2022. He hasn’t missed a Sappyfest since his first visit to Sackville in 2015.

We’re thankful for Matt’s generosity and support with this important fundraiser! Please check out his website and follow along on Instagram. For a closer look at the image, visit www.matthorseman.com/sappy-forever#e-1