2024 - 10th Anniversary Weekend Passes On Sale Now
Your Weekend Pass grants you guaranteed admission to our main stage performances at the St. Paul's Centre on Friday April 19th and Saturday April 20th, 2024
2024 Main Stage Performers
Begonia
The Redhill Valleys
Begonia
Saturday April 20th
Pegged as Canada’s breakout alt-diva, Begonia has built a legion of fans online and at her legendary live shows. Her critically acclaimed discography includes Lady In Mind EP (2017), Fear (2019) and Powder Blue (2023). Among her accolades, she has multiple JUNO nominations, two Polaris Prize nominations, multiple #1 songs on CBC Radio, and was named one of NPR’s Artists You Need to Know. Her sophomore album, Powder Blue emerged in early 2023 and confronts themes of sexuality, self-discovery, acceptance and empowerment. The album was named one of CBC Music’s Best Canadian Albums of 2023 (#7) and was shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize.
Begonia’s live performance is world class. She has been playing sold out clubs and theatres in North America, and recently supported indie-all-star, Leith Ross, on their European tour. Her vocal prowess has the power to absolutely floor an audience, evidenced at her Polaris Gala performance.
She is riding a wave of momentum with a record number of people discovering Powder Blue and becoming super-fans. Begonia is a standout Canadian talent, and the world is beginning to take notice.
Bleeker
The Redhill Valleys
Begonia
Friday April 19th
JUNO and Canadian Radio Music Award-nominated BLEEKER represents a fresh, new vision for alternative rock. Amplifying alt rock with stadium sized spirit, delightful experimentation and raw power, Ontario, Canada natives, brothers Taylor and Cole Perkins, with Mike Van Dyk and Chris Dimas, create thoroughly modern anthems.
Lead singer Taylor Perkins formed the band in 2004 — then known as Bleeker Ridge — playing covers in local bars with his brother, Cole, who plays guitar. The band was discovered and signed by Roadrunner Records and by 2010 was touring the world after releasing their debut album, Small Town Dead. 2017 brought the group’s first JUNO nomination for Breakthrough Group Of The Year. Continuing success has seen them open for several prominent bands including Aerosmith and most recently they have been performing with Big Wreck and The Trews. The band has also caught the attention of Hockey Night In Canada where their track Walken, a hard-hitting anthem with a lot of energy, was recently featured during the opening of an NHL broadcast on Sportsnet. The groups most recent single Make It Better was released January 26th.
The Redhill Valleys
The Redhill Valleys
The Redhill Valleys
Friday April 19th
With powerful, earthy harmonies, rootsy guitar licks and timeless lyrics, The Redhill Valleys are blazing a trail onto the Canadian music scene. This four-piece country-rock group from Hamilton, Ontario is unafraid of embracing nostalgia as they draw influence from Americana Roots icons like Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Neil Young, The Band and Fleetwood Mac.
Their talents have earned them multiple award nominations, including nods for “Best Group” and “Best Roots Artists” at the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards for three consecutive years.
The band has also garnered significant praise for their single ‘Anymore’, from their 2022 EP, ‘Travel Well’ — notably clinching first place in the American Songwriter Magazine lyric contest, and receiving regular airplay on SiriusXM’s North Americana, CBC Country, and Tom Petty Radio. They have cultivated a dedicated fanbase, touring extensively across Canada gracing the stages of renowned festivals like Boots and Hearts Music Festival, Big Sky Music Festival plus many more.
Passionate about bringing music lovers together, The Redhill Valleys are also advocates for music accessibility and are involved in numerous programs that provide opportunities for education in Hamilton including AIFEC, Girls Rock Camp, and City Kidz. The Redhill Valleys continue their journey, creating and releasing new music with the hope of inspiring and captivating audiences worldwide.
Spencer Burton
Spencer Burton
The Redhill Valleys
Saturday April 20th
Already living quietly in a slow country town, a period of intense world isolation prompted Spencer Burton to leave the city even further behind. Retreating to a small off-grid cabin in Northern Ontario, Spencer reconnected with nature and found peace and comfort in isolation.
Taking a step back from the realities of life let him step back into making music. Music that’s featured on his latest album, ‘North Wind’. It was written in the north woods, in solitude and reflection. And while the songs have a spiritual importance, they also speak to ordinary life away from it all: fishing, an encounter with a coyote, sitting with your own thoughts.
Recorded in Nashville with Andrija Tokic, ‘North Wind’ fits sonically with the rest of Spencer’s catalogue, but the tone is noticeably different. The songs are easier, more comfortable, at ease. They encapsulate that same feeling he had out there alone, of singing by the campfire into the woods. “I’m not really trying to write music these days,” says Spencer. “I’m trying to write good feelings.”
Julian Taylor
Spencer Burton
Julian Taylor
Saturday April 20th
With a soulful voice and captivating stage presence, Julian Taylor is a rising star in the Canadian folk scene. His unique blend of blues, roots, and folk music has earned him a growing fanbase and critical acclaim.
Julian is a Toronto-based, award-winning singer-songwriter, radio host, and label owner. Over the course of his esteemed career, which spans 20-plus years as the leader of Staggered Crossing, Julian Taylor Band, and his solo work, Julian has established himself as one of Canada’s greatest troubadours.
He’s earned several Juno Award nominations, along with a pair of Canadian Folk Music Awards for Solo Artist and English Songwriter of the Year, five Native American Music Award nominations, plus a nomination for Canada’s most prestigious music accolade, the Polaris Music Prize.
About The Roots North Music Festival
A Festival to Remember
Roots music can refer to several styles or genres in music, but to us it’s music that is firmly rooted in a place of honest expression and emotion. It’s music that travels, shares, and connects, while honouring the past and bravely moving forward. It’s our mission to bring together a wide range of artists and people who share this vision for a weekend of great live music.
Our Venues
Historic Downtown Orillia, Ontario, Canada serves as the backdrop for the music festival. Our headline shows will take place at the beautifully restored
St. Pauls Centre at 62 Peter Street North.
Artists perform on Friday and Saturday evening in our comfortable soft-seat theatre. Snacks are available for purchase at our on-location Mariposa Market Snack Bar and a selections of adult beverages for our 19+ attendees is available from our friends at the bar operated by Quayle's Brewery.
More Music Throughout The Downtown & Beyond
Music, shopping and entertainment surround you as you explore during the Roots North Music Festival in Orillia.
In addition to our ticketed main event performances, several businesses along Mississaga Street, and beyond, have teamed up to provide FREE live music shows within their shops and restaurants. Be sure to explore and join us.
Our ever expanding list of performance venues have included Alleycats Music & Art, Quayles Brewery, Picnic, Lot 88 Kitchen & Bar, Eclectic Cafe, Rustica Pizza Vino, Kenzington Burger Bar, Mark IV Brothers, Lone Wolf Cafe, Orillia Music Centre, Apple Annie's Cafe & Shop, Knightvision Media Studios, Hog N' Penny, Hibernation Arts, Couchiching Craft Brewing Co., Brewery Bay Food Co., and Bakes By The Lake, just to name a few.
Art Market & Artist Merchandise - Free Admission
Before each performance, and during intermissions, we encourage our guests to explore the on-site art market filled with wonderful local vendors and all their creative goods. A selection of merchandise from our performing artists is also available in addition to one of a kind Roots North Music Festival logo'd memorabilia, some of which you get the opportunity to design and create on-site as part of our dedication to the arts.
The Roots North Art Market, which also hosts our onsite Quayle's Brewery bar, has free admission available from 6pm to 10pm on Friday April 19th and Saturday April 20th and is located at our main stage venue - St. Pauls Centre, 62 Peter Street North, Orillia Ontario.
Come join us for a drink while browsing locally crafted artisan wares.
Accomodations
The Champlain Waterfront Hotel, an Ascend Hotel Collection
Located in beautiful Downtown Orillia, The Champlain Waterfront Hotel is the closest and most convenient location to stay while music surrounds you during the Roots North Music Festival. Contact the hotel directly at 705-259-5001 or book on their website with promo code LROOTS for a 20% discount.
