The Stan Rogers Folk Festival, also known as Stanfest, has announced it is expanding with a new roadshow series this July. Hosted in Canso, the festival attracts international stars and showcases them alongside the finest East Coast and local artists. The festival is an important summer event in the Nova Scotian music scene and is held in honour of late Canadian songwriter Stan Rogers. According to the organizers, this year’s Stanfest will create more employment opportunities for local artists and the community venues offer between 50 to 300 seats. The organizers are growing the event format to 7 days and adding a ‘Roadshow’ concert series with eight concerts in six communities on the days leading into the festival. This will continue to grow further in years to come.

The Stanfest Roadshow will kick off with an opening gala featuring Lucy MacNeil and Rankin and the Broken Reeds at the Miles MacDonald Performance Centre in Guysborough on July 22. Following that, performances will take place in Charlos Cove, Sherbrooke, Canso, and Little Dover, concluding in Larry’s River on July 22. This series sets the stage for the 27th Stan Rogers Folk Festival in Canso from July 25 to 28. Children under 12 get free entry, and tickets for all Roadshow events are available online.