Westfest: Ottawa’s Celebrated Arts Festival (2004-2019)

From 2004 to 2019, Westfest brought the beats, rhymes, and creative pulse of Canada to Ottawa’s backyard. The capital’s premier free music festival fostered community spirit through inclusive programming spotlighting emerging talent. By 2019, when Westfest concluded its run, generations of artists and over 100,000 attendees carried its legacy forward.

Bringing Canada’s Arts Scene Home to Ottawa

Staying true to its name, the new Westfest Ottawa focused solely on Canadian talent, providing a platform for artists to develop their craft. Over 300 musicians, dancers, painters, and poets showcased works from coast to coast that reflected Canada’s creativity.

From the festival’s early days centred in Westboro to later iterations at Mechanicsville’s Laroche Park and the Tom Brown Arena, Westfest brought Canada’s arts scene home to Ottawa. This growth has been made possible in part by the support of sponsors, who recognize the value of investing in the arts.

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Festival Lineup and Artists

Year	Artists
2004	Jane Siberry, Adrienne Pierce, Ember Swift, Junkyard Symphony
2005	Cowboy Junkies, Danny Michel, Lynn Miles, Gentleman Reg
2006	Skydiggers, The Cash Brothers, Jim Bryson, Elliot Brood
2007	Kathleen Edwards, Shanneyganock, Jason Collett, Angela Desveaux
2008	Buffy Sainte-Marie, Lucie Idlout, Holly McNarland, Kinnie Starr
2009	Danny Michel, Jenn Grant, Prairie Oyster, Lynne Hanson
2010	Sloan, The High Dials, Madison Violet, MonkeyJunk
2011	Lucie Idlout, Bif Naked, Mighty Popo
2012	Hidden Cameras, Steven Page, Cooper Brothers
2013	Jill Zmud, Jane Siberry, Elliott Brood, Amanda Rheaume
2014	A Tribe Called Red, Ashley MacIsaac, The PepTides
2015	Sarah Harmer, Lynn Miles, The Acorn, Rae Spoon

Rather than isolating genres, Westfest Ottawa celebrated the mosaic of artistic mediums. Music may have taken the spotlight with rocking main stage sets, but interactive installations, improv comedy, and roving performers also starred.

Over nine stages and venues, artists and fans forged a community while discussing urgent issues or dancing under the stars. Contemporary Indigenous creators like Riit and Quantum Tangle performed alongside Ottawa indie darlings The Acorn. Other lineups enticed visitors with East Coast rapper Classified, rock icon Sloan and throat singer Tanya Tagaq.

By spotlighting Canada’s unsung talents, Westfest aimed to empower those continuing artistic traditions. Métis fiddler Sierra Noble brought her culture’s sounds to new crowds, while Inuk electronic trio A Tribe Called Red spearheaded their own subversive “powwow step” genre.

Westfest Ottawa Atmosphere

From the moment visitors stepped onto the festival grounds, an undeniable creative energy electrified the air. Vendors hawked locally-made crafts as sculptors transformed found objects into imaginative installations. Poets handed out zines fresh off photocopiers while a circus troupe invited passersby to try balancing acts.

During blazing afterparties, DJs collaborated live with musicians as dancers intermingled with the crowd. Special sessions also forged intimate connections, like reconciliation-themed talking circles and early morning yoga classes centred on healing.

Rather than a detached observer experience, Westfest offered an interactive adventure welcoming all who crossed its borders.

Event Sorely Missed After Its Conclusion

In 2019, Wesfest organizers announced the difficult decision to conclude the festival after 16 glorious years. Despite strong community roots, gathering adequate financial support to sustain the multiday event’s operations grew more challenging.

Founder Elaina Martin remarked it was “just a matter of time” before even attracting talent and attendees would become untenable without proper artists’ fees or promotional budgets.

The festival’s accessibility mandate emphasizing free admission for all visitors also limited potential revenue streams. So, rather than compromise the integrity of the festival experience, Westfest opted for a graceful exit.

Yet the creative oasis Wesfest nurtured over a decade and a half leaves an undeniable void in Ottawa. The city’s cultural landscape sorely lacks the festival’s cherished atmosphere where art appreciation flourished beyond social barriers.

Its spirit no doubt persists in the artists Westfest boosted over the years, now themselves shaping Canada’s arts scene. The wheels are also already turning on spiritual successor festivals that may yet reignite the creative spark Wesfest lit for Ottawa.

Connections Between Artists and Local Communities

Critically, Westfest also worked closely with Ottawa’s arts organizations and BIAs to incorporate community context. The festival financially compensated local artists to have their works presented, ensuring the event sustained as well as showcased creative talent.

Over 100 volunteers annually donated their time too for positions ranging from bicycling valets to street marshals. Their participation enabled Westfest Ottawa to make deeper neighbourhood bonds that paid artistic dividends.

Though unable to continue, the creative connections Westfest forged reveal a path forward for arts festivals sustaining community spirit.

Westfest – Celebration That Will Echo Through Ottawa

When the final amplifiers powered down in 2019, Westfest left an indelible mark on Ottawa’s arts scene after 15 years as a cultural anchor. Against immense odds, Elaina Martin spearheaded a marginalized vital platform for emerging Canadian talent that commanded national attention.

The festival’s meteoric rise from a 40-artist event to a spectacle with over 100 hours of programming mirrors Canada’s own expanding artistic horizon. Westfest dreamed big on behalf of the country’s creative communities, who honoured it with resounding support year after year.

Though concluded now, Westfest’s legacy echoes in every artist that graced its stages, using the momentum to propel their careers to greater heights. Ottawa itself feels intrinsically sparked by the alchemy Westfest generated, melding artistic talent with community closeness during its unprecedented run.

No doubt the city will honour Westfest’s spirit by coming together once more to uplift arts festivals that dissolve barriers. Until then, Westfest stands as a benchmark for accessible, electrifying arts gatherings that Canada owes much gratitude towards.

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