A love for music and volunteering made joining to help organize the Renfrew Bluegrass Festival an easy choice for Michael Ryan.
Michael cut his teeth running festivals through his own Pakenham Five Span Jam, by his own words a “low-key country music festival,” as well being a part of the original rendition of the Renfrew Bluegrass Festival on Pinnacle Hill as run by local musician Steve St. Michael.
He says the town taking over the festivities is a major boon for the community, attracting tourism and interest from music fans and musicians both locally and across the U.S. border. He notes Ma-Te-Way Park is a perfect venue for Bluegrass, mixing flat conditions for the stages, RV’s, and camping with a backcountry feel that is moments away from amenities in town.
Ryan credits the Town of Renfrew’s Bluegrass Festival Committee for their ability to pull in big headliners like Nashville act The Grascals, as bringing in those names are important to keeping your audience year-over-year. He also credits the other volunteers on hand for ensuring everything ran smoothly for the entire weekend.
He stresses that the positive feedback he received from tourists and the musicians themselves won’t just stay in town, as good word of mouth can only attract more interest in the annual Renfrew Bluegrass Festival.
Listen to the full interview with 96.1 myFM’s Kasey Egan below: