Niagara Region partners with Ontario in 13-for-13 Festival

Someone had to draw the home team. The fact is when municipalities are getting partnered with provinces, one of them had to pull Ontario’s name out of the hat.

It turns out that was Niagara Region, which is in this entertainment pool with the municipalities.

The unique 13-for-13 Festival pairs each of Niagara’s 12 municipalities, as well as the region, up with a Canadian province or territory from which they have to draw entertainment as part of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games celebrations.

Since Niagara Region’s 13-for-13 Festival day is on a weekend – Sunday, August 14 – they’ll have events running from 11 am to 10 pm in Thorold’s Niagara Place at Canada Games Park (2021 Canada Games Way).

First up at 11 am will be children’s entertainers Splash ‘N’ Boot, a duo that says, “We love creating music and opportunities that foster connection, inclusion, and healthy self-expression.  We believe in a world where every child is seen, heard, and loved for exactly who they are!”

Up at 2:45 is Les Gens du Nord, a French-Canadian folk band from northern Ontario followed at 5 pm by Unstoppable Tracy, a former Paralympian who’s “an engaging speaker focusing on motivational techniques who will empower and engross her every audience.”

At 6 pm, it’s the five-piece band The Associates who “pride themselves on keeping a varied repertoire, constantly adding classic dance floor fillers and current chart toppers to the list.”

At 7:30 pm, it’s the rock and blues sound of Deanna Petcoff. Citing David Bowie and Patti Smith as her muses, Petcoff’s “rich, deep, textured voice juxtaposes her soft imagery and vulnerable, honest lyrics, welcoming us into a world where even a fleeting moment of emotion can become its own monument, and where gentle guitars can navigate otherwise messy waters.”

And finally at 8:45 pm, it’s Toronto singer-songwriter Scott Helman, who has opened shows for Walk Off The Earth and Matthew Good. Helman tackles everything from love and grief to climate change and social activism with his lyric-driven brand of pop music.