The Live from the Rock Folk Festival is an annual music and arts festival located on the beautiful shore of Lake Superior in Red Rock, Ontario. Since the Live from the Rock Blues & Folk Society held the first festival in August of 2002, Live from the Rock has become an annual tradition for over 2,000 music lovers on the north shore of Superior. It is a grassroots festival run 100 per cent by volunteers and without the support of approximately 200 dedicated volunteers and the Township of Red Rock, the Live from the Rock Folk Festival could not exist.
The festival offers world class music on four daytime workshop-style stages, as well as an evening festival concert stage. The first notes can be heard floating across the lake starting at 10 a.m. on Friday morning and they don’t stop until the Festival Stage closes the weekend on Sunday evening.
Workshops are an amazing experience well known in the folk festival scene. Several musicians grace each stage and play music based on the theme of the workshop. Workshop performances provide musicians with the opportunity to talk about their music, which makes it a truly intimate experience for the crowd. The talented musicians will often jam along with each other and create music that has never been heard before and may never be recreated again. It’s magic that you have to experience to fully understand.
The entire weekend takes place in one of the most beautiful and surreal places on earth. Red Rock’s marina front Pull-a-log Park is located on the north shore of Lake Superior and is fully accessible by car or boat. The stages are nestled between a mountain and the lake with rolling fields of green grass and plenty of trees for shade from the daytime sun.
On site you will find a food court with vendors selling a variety of food; a festival pub to wet your whistle (ages 19+ only); a festival cafe serving two choices of a hearty breakfast; an artisans’ marketplace where you can purchase a variety of handmade goods and addtional programming like morning yoga beside the lake. There is a family area with crafts, interactive nature exhibits, a splash pad and a workshop stage right next door. The park also has an unserviced campground with spots for tents and trailers and a fully serviced marina for boats. Camping passes can be purchased at the festival gate for $20.
The most amazing thing about this festival how the people, the atmosphere and the community come together every August. Everyone walks a little lighter, smiles a little bigger and loves a whole lot more. From the moment you are greeted at the main gate with the friendliest of hellos, the music of the festival flows over you and you feel like you have come home.
This year we are so pleased to help everyone “find your folk” and we can’t wait to see you there. Happy Folk Fest!
General Information
Live from the Rock is always held the weekend after the August Long weekend. The campground and the main gate open on Thursday at noon. Music gets underway around 11am on Friday and runs through Sunday at 6pm.
It’s All About the Music
Outstanding performers – representing a wide range of musical styles
Main stage concerts – Friday and Saturday evenings AND Sunday afternoon
Four daytime workshop stages – sessions where several performers
or acts come together to play
Family Stage – fun for the whole family featuring musicians and storytellers
“Open Mic” – share your musical talent
Sunday morning celebration – join us at the Family Stage
Campfire Jams – Thursday, Friday and Saturday night (must a hold campground pass)