By Will McGuirk
Wintersong just wrapped. The multi-venue gathering of art, music and food, in Whitchurch-Stouffville, took place Jan 20-21 2023 and featured Stars, Dan Mangan, and Men Without Hats plus scores more right across the downtown.
I reached out to the folks behind Wintersong to see how they do it and what others in bigger cities such as mine can learn from these country folks.
Stephanie Nikolopoulos of the Warm Hearts Collective answered.
Slowcity: It's early days of course but what feedback are you getting from Wintersong patrons, and artists?
Stephanie Nikolopoulos: “Wintersong was a great success! It’s a hugely beneficial event for the businesses; the venues all report having their busiest weekends during the event! Every musician who played Wintersong was thrilled with the event. It’s such a fun experience and is a great setting for the organic discovery of new music! We also saw a huge increase in the amount of people coming in from Toronto and elsewhere in the GTA! We are proud of what we accomplished with our little team & can’t wait to build upon our success each year!”
SC: Who are the folks involved in the Warm Hearts Collective, and is this full-time for any involved?
SN: “Warm Hearts Collective was created as a part-time passion project formed by some of the like-minded volunteers who helped Epidemic Music Group to organize the 18-day-long concert that set a Guinness Record for the Longest Concert ever and raised nearly $100k for charity in 2017.”
SC: What was the genesis for the Collective, and the inspiration to continue?
SN: “Both Warm Hearts and Wintersong were formed in celebration of getting the Guinness record. We wanted to create a musical celebration that encapsulated the energy & spirit of the community during that time. The success of the first Wintersong and support from the community has seen it grown to an annual festival where the community can gather in celebration of live music and give back to businesses at a time when they are most in need!”
SC: What support do you get from your municipality and/or BIA?
SN: “We are grateful for the financial support of the WS Legacy Fund. Without it, we would not have been able to put on Wintersong completely free for the community. Our local Chamber and Stouffville Village teams have been a great bridge for support with the Town and provide us with much-needed assistance in marketing efforts.”
SC: What are the challenges you face, and have overcome in keeping the Warm Heart Collective going?
SN: “Every year the festival grows and so do our costs. Rising costs and inflation mean our team has to get creative on our ways to source funding. We have set the bar high for ourselves and aspire to grow with new, exciting offerings each year, so obtaining funding for those initiatives is the greatest challenge.”
SC: I love the sense of independence and ownership you have for your culture, I see something similar in Uxbridge - not so much here south of the Ridge, what is it about your area that creates such indie activism?
SN: “Stouffville is a town with a strong community and lots of young families looking for entertainment opportunities that also support the community. We have many art-lovers and creatives who, at the time, were looking for a shared community and sense of belonging.
Kevin Ker of EMG (who came up with the idea to do the Guinness Record attempt) recognized this need in Stouffville and really created an opportunity for the music community to come together.”
SC: What are your plans for the rest of 2023, more events?
SN: “We are already brainstorming headliners for Wintersong 2024! We also have hopes to do some summer events if funding allows.”
