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Without the bitterness, the sweet just ain’t as sweet.
Those unacquainted with the recent history of the Trout Forest Music Festival may have missed the significance of those meaningful glances passing between the festival’s die hard patrons and volunteers. Suffused in the sound of children splashing at the beach, within the coconut smell of liberally slathered sunscreen was the sense of sweet redemption for this little music festival.

For a few straight years, Trout fanatics have huddled close under the ‘Frank’s Tavern’ tent keeping the flame alive as Mother Nature dealt soul-sucking unrelenting downpours that soaked tents, fizzled campfires, depressed hula-hoopers, cancelled main stage performances and transformed the three-day folk and roots music celebration into more of a test of endurance.

But it was hard to even imagine such hardship this past weekend as 1,200 people and 26 musical acts made the sun-soaked Ear Falls Waterfront Park their home.
Festival Chair Kathy Robinson says much of the Trout’s charm is closely linked to enjoying the environment in which it is staged, an element that is enhanced by great weather.
“People are happier when the sun is shining,” she said. “It’s good to see people in the lake, playing beach volleyball, or just snoozing in the sun, that’s the festival too. We were long overdue for some sunshine.”
Curated by artistic director Devin Latimer of the Winnipeg-based act Nathan, the lineup draws heavily on the bright stars of the diverse Winnipeg folk and roots music scene, often drawing many Manitoban devotees along for the ride for a weekend in the woods.
“I don’t think I’ve ever played a festival with so many other musicians that I knew,” says The-F-Holes trumpeteer Jimmy James Mckee. “It’s a really nice size. I’ve played some smaller festivals like this that aren’t quite as well organized.”
Winnipeg songwriter Don Amero says the daytime workshop formats (combining several acts on stage at once) create an interesting vibe for both the musicians and the crowd.
“Devin’s done a fabulous job booking a variety of talent, the workshop I was in this morning was proof of that. There’s a lot of different flavours and tons of great ‘throwback’ backs.”
Robinson says Mother Nature’s return to form makes a big difference at the gate.
“You have your diehards who bought their early bird tickets and camping passes months ago and they’re here rain or shine,” says Robinson. “But we depend a lot on people getting up on Saturday or Sunday morning in Dryden or Kenora and saying, ‘it’s a glorious day, let’s go to the festival’.”
Trout fans were making up for lost time, Friday evening, getting down to the spirited hybrid Dixieland sound of The-F-Holes teamed up with Little Miss Higgins; and later the dark honky-tonk of Andrew Neville and The Poor Choices.
After midnight, fans mixed with performers at campfire jam sessions all over the festival site.
Hot sun chased sleep-deprived campers from their tents early, Saturday, for a day of laid-back concerts, topped by a knockout headline performance from Winnipeg’s The Deep Dark Woods under a full moon.
The music continued into Sunday afternoon as yet another perfect day dawned.
Packing up tents and saying goodbye to camping neighbours and new friends, few could argue that this summer’s Trout was one for the ages.
By Chris Marchand