EMILY HSUEH
FORT COULONGE April 21, 2021
After reviewing the current restrictions in place and probable future situations, the team behind the Fort Coulonge/Mansfield Country Festival have decided to . . .
cancel this year’s event.
“We didn’t know if we would have permission to do it for like 250 people. Even with people distancing and wearing masks, it’s still the same cost to do it for 200 people as 1,500 or 2,000 people so we’re not going to take the risk this year,” said festival organizer Phil Denault.
This year’s event would have been the fifth iteration of the festival and was scheduled to take place from June 3 – 6. The last event was in 2019 as last year’s event was also cancelled due to the pandemic.
The planned acts and guests for the 2021 event were carried over from 2020, and Denault said they will try their best to preserve the lineup for whenever the next event can happen. In that time, the non-profit organization will be looking to double their sponsors to help out in the future. Denault said he is grateful for the sponsors who have stuck with the festival during uncertain times.
For those who have already purchased a weekend pass, they will be honoured the next time the festival takes place.
“Anybody that bought the weekend pass for 2020, if it was bought before the 15th of May 2020 we’re going to acknowledge that pass towards the next festival. That’s including campsites and everything. We’re still selling presale for the new year too, so if anybody wants to buy tickets for next year we’re open for that.”
While the organizers have had to make the difficult decision to cancel their event, should they get the opportunity, they hope to do smaller events when the restrictions ease.
“What we’re trying to do is, if we can get the clearance, have some shows late in the summer, maybe do some indoor shows at the parish hall in Coulonge or do a couple shows in different Pontiac halls,” he said. “We’ll try to raise some more money for the festival. Maybe we’ll bring a couple of guests that are in the festival [to the smaller events] too.
“I want to thank the people that supported us through the last four years and hopefully we’ll see them next year.”
