FLOURISH, Fredericton’s early season festival of art and music, returns for it’s fifth iteration April 25 – 28, 2019. This year is one of marked growth for the festival as they expand out to more venues and delve into creative new mediums for delivering art. Today the festival have announced their artistic and musical lineups.
“One of the most exciting things for me this year is the extent to which we are breaking out into the city. We started off very much based in and around the Tannery. Specifically, having the Capital Complex as our main venue (and number one supporters) and in the Fredericton Arts Building which is right next door,” says Stefan Westner, who has been an organizer for FLOURISH Festival since it began in 2015.
“While those venues are still key to our programming, last year our first show in the Charlotte Street Arts Centre went over immensely well. We’ve expanded our use of that space this year because of it, and are also experimenting with new (to us) spaces throughout the downtown. That includes local businesses, and a partnership with NBCCD (New Brunswick College of Craft & Design) which we are very excited about!
The festival say that one of the major highlights of the festival is the ability to showcase Fredericton to so many new people, with artists and attendees come from across Canada often visiting the city for the first time. This year attendees will be seeing even more of the city, with the festival expanding along Queen street with a string of venues for a “walking music crawl.” The new spaces will also accommodate more events, including a fashion show and zine fair.
At the center of the music festival, of course, is still the music.
“There are so many exciting acts coming this year! Again, a lot of our musicians have never been to Fredericton before, or if the members have, they are coming with new projects, like Coy from Charlottetown and No, It’s Fine from Halifax. Flourish Residency program alums VERSA are coming back and have some stunning visuals and projections incorporated into their show. Of course there will be a tonne of local love, from Fredericton regulars and new projects,” says Westner.
“I’m especially excited about some up and coming high school bands we’ve got booked for their first ever festival gigs! There are so many artists to look forward to I can’t even start listing them, I’m too afraid I’ll miss someone amazing. Keep an eye out though for some large scale immersive installations from Kristina Rolander, and so many stellar shows.”
FLOURISH Festival’s full 2019 musical lineup includes: And The Kids, BBQT, Bleu Nuit, Bleum, Carinae, Coy, DenMother, Emilio Bonnell. Esme & The Dishrags, Frooti-Toot-e, Fungus, Heat $heets, Helium Submarine, Jane Blanchard, Janowskii, Jerry Faye, Julie Aube, Kee Avil, Klackers, Kral Majales, Kylie Fox, l i l a, Lemongrab, Lex Leosis, Marian, Mary-Kate Edwards, Merival, Motherhood, No, It’s Fine, Pallmer, Property, Run Coyote, Sadie, Shady Jane, Terminal, Terre Wa, Thanya Iyer, The Backstays, The Hypochondriacs, Valerie, VERSA, Weakened Friends, Weary, Wrote and Young Satan in Love.
As usual, Flourish will also be playing host to tons of visual and performance artists again this year. Much of the performers are New Brunswick based, but pull some (like Amery Sandford) in from Quebec, Ontario (like VERSA and Laura Watson), and the US (like Kristina Rolander).
The full list of visual and artistic performers includes: Alex Kennedy, Ashley Sheard, Charles Harding, Connexion ARC, Craig Budovitch, Dawn Steeves, Duncan Ireland, Emily Blair, Erin Goodine, Hot Garbage Players, Katie Foal, Patrick Allaby, Lisa Kim, Mariah Sockabasin, Melissa McMichael, Rachel Thornton, Reuben Mark Stewart, Sarah Kierstead, Shiftwork Collective, Stefan Westner, and Tracy Austin.
The festival takes place at venues throughout the city of Fredericton including The Capital Complex, The Charlotte Street Arts Centre, Shiftwork Studio, Bellwether Boutique, New Brunswick College of Craft & Design Library, Gallery 78, and Gallery Connexion. Passes go on sale today ($70 for all access, $30 for all ages shows). Tickets for individual events go on sale March 14thvia www.flourish-fest.com or Etix Now kiosks at Graystone or Grimross in Fredericton.