Field Trip returns to Toronto’s Historic Fort York & Garrison Common next weekend (June 6 & 7) – and it’s definitely worth declining a cottage invite for.
But if you’ve attended the music and arts festival before, you already know that. And if not, well, that’s why we’re giving away two free weekend passes (see form at bottom of the page).
Now in its third year, Field Trip – the brainchild of Toronto-based artist service company Arts & Crafts – returns stronger than ever.
This year’s highlights will include headline performances by Alabama Shakes and My Morning Jacket, and celebrated talent like Arkells, The War on Drugs, and Kevin Drew alongside Andy Kim will also hit the stage.
Oh, and Sharon and Bram (RIP Lois) will have the nostalgia factor covered.
Of course, the food trucks are as much of a draw as the music and the crowd.
I caught up with Jeffrey Remedios – Arts & Crafts President and Field Trip Co-Director – to hear more about this year’s festival.
The inaugural Field Trip celebrated Arts & Craft’s 10-year anniversary. What else did you set out to achieve with the festival?
We wanted to create a uniquely Toronto event. Something that reflected our love of community and discovery, but that also had a world class feel and represented this great city internationally.
What was the best part about the previous festivals, in your opinion?
Watching our community come together in celebration but also watching it expand each year. Seeing the Field Trip brand grow as a meaningful extension of what Arts & Crafts has built and welcome in new fans and creators.
What can we expect from this year’s festival? Any surprises you can hint at?
We’ve always got a few tricks up our sleeves, but they’ll have to stay there for the moment. What people can expect – great music, amazing food, and good people. We’ve expanded our programming this year to include a third stage with numerous kid-friendly performances. We’re also thrilled to present a completely original custom Oculus Rift virtual reality experience. It’s one of a kind and the first such presentation at a Canadian festival.
There are a lot of festivals hitting the city this summer; what makes Field Trip so unique?
Toronto. Arts & Crafts was born out of this city’s artistic community and we are still deeply active within it. We take pride in focusing on the details and ensuring that the community of artists, foodies, and creators are not only welcome at Field Trip, but have a direct hand in shaping the vision.
How was the eclectic lineup chosen?
By spending hours sharing ideas and moving names around a board. It’s a lot of fun and a lot of stress, but we take great pride in the cultural and musical diversity we’ve realized with this year’s lineup. It’s going to be amazing.
What acts are you most excited to see?
All of them! The strength of our lineup is its diversity and it really takes on a life of its own when you see it in action.
After two years headlining, Broken Social Scene is absent from this year’s lineup; any chance of an impromptu performance?
The spirit of Broken Social Scene is in every Field Trip regardless of whether they play. It’s in the collaborative nature of the festival and the relationship we have with our community. In more tangible terms, we’re thrilled to have Kevin Drew perform this year, joined by his most recent collaborator, the great Andy Kim.
Who, in your opinion, are the biggest names to watch for in Canadian music at the moment?
There are so many – this is an incredible time in Canadian music. We have the world’s biggest rapper, Drake, and some of the most interesting and unique voices in music – think Mac Demarco, Grimes, among others. I am consistently impressed by the talent that this country produces and the way over index internationally be it pop or something really left of centre.
For a chance to win a pair of weekend passes to Field Trip, simply fill out the form below and we’ll randomly select a winner on Tuesday, June 2nd and notify them via email. Good luck!
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