A community-wide celebration of Gordon Lightfoot is set to return to Orillia next month.
"There is a longing to gather around the stories of Gordon Lightfoot because of how important he's been to us," said Karen Hilfman Millson, one of the event organizers.
The former St. Paul's minister conducted the service for the Canadian legend's private funeral following his May 1 death that sparked a wave of grief and love in Orillia and around the globe.
"People are more aware now of just how much he's meant to us here in Orillia, the place where he was born, where he went to school and began his singing."
Orillia Lightfoot Days kick off Nov. 3 with the Classic Lightfoot Live tribute band playing at St. Paul's Centre at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the concert are already on their way to being sold out. While they last, you can get yours for $45 here.
On Nov. 4, Mayor Don McIsaac will declare it Gordon Lightfoot Day in Orillia. At 11:30 a.m., there will be a tour of the remaining Streets Alive guitars situated throughout the downtown core, tours of the Orillia Opera House, and tours of St. Paul's Centre where there will be viewings of three different local Gordon Lightfoot interviews conducted by Hilfman Millson over the years.
Live music will be happening throughout the day and evening at venues, stores and restaurants across town such as Alleycats Music and Arts.
"We have a good number of venues that are providing live music," Hilfman Millson said. "There will be lots of choices, people will be able to move about and hear different artists."
On Nov. 5, the event continues with a service at St. Paul's Centre, where Lightfoot attended services as a child and sang in the choir. During the service, there will be a recording played of 12-year-old Lightfoot singing.
The service will conclude with a commemorative birthday cake at Mariposa Market. Lightfoot would have celebrated his 85th birthday Nov. 17. Live music will continue throughout the day at different venues across town.
With Lightfoot’s death in May, and his 85th birthday being marked in November, Hilfman Millson says it was important to her to bring the festival back.
"A lot of people were having a real longing for it," she said. "People were suggesting that we do a Gordon Lightfoot festival and that Orillia would be the place to do it."
During the weekend, the Orillia Museum of Art and History will have a display of Lightfoot memorabilia.
Hilfman Millson hopes the weekend-long event will be an opportunity to "deepen the awareness of the gift of Lightfoot's music."
"He was an incredible storyteller," she said. "He shared with us insights about life and gave us a sense of connectedness to each other."
Hilfman Millson says Lightfoot told Canada's stories through his music, which created a sense of community among Canadians from coast to coast.
"It's astonishing to me how many people have stories of having met Gordon," she said. "I hope people get to tell those stories to each other wherever they gather for this festival."
While this year's festival is just a pop-up event, Hilfman Millson hopes Lightfoot Days will once again become an annual event and continue to grow.
"I hope there will be enthusiasm for this to happen," she said. "It's a great way for Orillia to be introduced to the wider community."
