IN PHOTOS: Cavendish Beach Music Festival entertains the masses under sunny skies

Tens of thousands of country fans made their annual pilgrimage to P.E.I.’s north shore for the Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 9-11. The music spectacle offers performances, activities and food and beverage vendors across multiple stages and booths on the Cavendish property. Headliners HARDY, Tucker Wetmore and Cody Johnson performed on the main stage to [...]

Tens of thousands of country fans made their annual pilgrimage to P.E.I.’s north shore for the Cavendish Beach Music Festival July 9-11. The music spectacle offers performances, activities and food and beverage vendors across multiple stages and booths on the Cavendish property. Headliners HARDY, Tucker Wetmore and Cody Johnson performed on the main stage to screaming fans that organizers anticipated would be in numbers close to 60,000.

Some of the auxiliary stages offered diverse talent, such as local P.E.I. performing artists and a line dancing seminar with Cowgirl Cardio creator, Madeleine Mae. Perhaps one of the more poignant moments might have been Rik Reese, who played on Saturday ahead of Johnson’s main stage set. Reese has been coming to CBMF for 14 years.

In 2011, Reese’s bass player, Pete King died on his return home from CBMF when his motorcycle collided with a moose. Reese, who is releasing his latest album this month, says one of the concrete blocks holding the festival’s main stage is dedicated to King, as are all of his band’s Cavendish performances.