Acoustic Maritime Music Festival returns to Kempt Shore with new programming

The Acoustic Maritime Music Festival will return to Kempt Shore Ocean View Campground in West Hants from July 16 to 19.

The Acoustic Maritime Music Festival will return to Kempt Shore Ocean View Campground in West Hants from July 16 to 19, continuing a 23-year tradition of celebrating original Canadian music. “This year, we’re going to have something we have never had before,” said Marc Peterson, co-founder, operator, and artistic director of Kempt Shore Festivals. Among this year’s highlights is the festival’s first Piano Summit, along with a songwriting circle, guitar summit, and open mic sessions designed to encourage collaboration between musicians and showcase original Canadian talent.

Peterson said one of the most rewarding parts of organizing the festival is bringing together artists who may never have performed alongside one another. “I’m very careful to have people that’ll complement each other,” he said. “Quite often I’ll put two genres together that have never been put together before.”

He said those collaborations create unique performances while giving musicians opportunities to explore new styles and connections. While the festival continues to introduce new programming, Peterson said its mission has remained unchanged since it began more than two decades ago. The festival was founded to promote original Canadian music, with a particular focus on Maritime singer-songwriters.

Peterson said it also aims to provide opportunities for emerging musicians to develop and share their work. He recalled that award-winning Hants County singer-songwriter Terra Spencer first became involved with the festival while working at its concession, where she met other musicians early in her career. Peterson said the festival has helped launch the careers of many Maritime musicians over the years.

This year’s lineup includes Spencer, Charlie A’Court, JP Cormier, Kim Dunn, and The Divorcees. Beyond the music itself, Peterson said the festival has become an important gathering for both visitors and the local community. Although Kempt Shore has a population of about 200 people, Peterson said the festival attracts visitors from across Canada and overseas, helping support local businesses as many attendees stay in the area for several days.

Visitors have travelled from places including the Netherlands, California, Ontario, Texas, and Denmark specifically to attend the festival, he said. For longtime attendee Buffy O’Regan, the welcoming atmosphere is what has kept her returning from New Brunswick for more than a decade. O’Regan said her father began attending the festival in its early years and eventually encouraged her to come.

She has since returned every summer, later bringing her own family along. “It’s like a family here,” O’Regan said. She said the experience extends beyond the scheduled performances, with musicians and festivalgoers gathering for informal kitchen parties around the campground to share songs, encourage one another and celebrate Maritime music.

“I wouldn’t want it to change,” she said. “I bet they would come back year after year.” For Peterson, the festival’s greatest purpose extends beyond entertainment.

“If we don’t support our original singer-songwriters, that’s our culture,” he said. “If we don’t support them, we’ll lose our culture.” Tickets, camping information, and the full festival schedule are available at kemptshorefestivals.ca .