An Invitation...
Endings and Beginnings.....
Over ten years ago, I had an idea about what a music festival in Muskoka could be - intimate, artist-led, and rooted in my family’s history in Gravenhurst. A decade later, I’m so proud of what Muskoka Music Festival has become, and of every artist, audience member, and collaborator who has shaped it along the way.
The festival grew and changed every year. The venues shifted, the programming evolved, the team around it expanded, but the heart of it stayed exactly where it started. Even through the pandemic, when so much of our industry went quiet, we found a way to keep going and to hire artists to do what they do best in partnership with Muskoka Drive In.
This summer, we’re marking our tenth anniversary at the Gravenhurst Opera House with two extraordinary artists: Seven time JUNO Award winner, Serena Ryder and acclaimed festival favourite, Mimi O’Bonsawin. It’s a lineup that feels like a love letter to everything MMF has stood for - world class performers singing Canadian songs on the Opera House stage in my beloved Gravenhurst. Tickets are on sale now at the Opera House box office! We went on sale on May 1st and as I write this, we are almost half sold already! If you’re thinking of coming to the show, you’d better grab your tickets. We are still over 100 days away so I have a feeling it’s going to sell out.
There is another reason why Gravenhurst will be busy that weekend…..but I’ll get to that.
As you probably already know as a reader of my Miranderings, the Opera House holds a particular meaning for me. My great-great-grandfather, Charles Mickle, built it 125 years ago when he was Mayor of Gravenhurst. To stand on that stage as MMF’s founder and artistic director, in a building my family helped bring into being, is something I still find hard to put into words. A century and a quarter on, the room is still bringing people together to celebrate arts and culture.
There is another reason this year will be special. It will be the last year of the festival as it is.
Why am I ending it now? Well, ten years is a good long time.
So many things have changed in the landscape and I’m immensely proud that MMF was an agent for positive change in the community - in Muskoka but specifically in Gravenhurst. I am sure that this little not-for-profit festival-that-could has helped usher in the new wave of music appreciation that is growing and thriving in Muskoka - specifically for original songwriting by Canadian songwriters.
I want to say a heartfelt thank you to all my wonderful VIPs, Sponsors and Friends of the Festival who, alongside loyal ticket buyers, have generously supported the festival and kept the lights on. We couldn’t have done it without you. I hope you’re proud of your contributions! The success of the festival and its impact in the local and artist community has a lot to do with you.
Since the pandemic, all the overhead costs have risen - including boring things like insurance and tech needs, travel and hotels for artists. The funding landscape has also changed dramatically. For a small Not-for-profit festival to succeed in programming that supports emerging artists and the diversity of Canadian talent (and not just 90s era all-male bands - no shade on them, there’s just so much more out there!), it takes hours and hours and hours of grant writing and reporting. Sponsorship is harder and harder to find and retain and the continuous financial fragility is difficult to sustain year after year. That said, there will be opportunities to do events and concerts at different times of the year. We’ll see how it goes! I’m also working on a whole lot of artistic projects and advocacy initiatives and I’m excited to bring more of my time and energy to them in the next few years.
Ten years feels like the right arc for this chapter. A decade of summers, a decade of music, and a chance to close with the kind of night I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Just take a look at all the incredible artists we’ve welcomed to Gravenhurst! This is more than a list, this is a reminder of indelible memories. I won’t forget!
And the final reason why this year will be extra special and Gravenhurst will be busy - well, I truly believe that the best endings are also beginnings and so - as some of you know already - I’m also getting married over the festival weekend! Huzzah!
So this is an invitation. Whether you’ve been with us since the first summer or you’re hearing about MMF for the first time, come and gather with us at the Opera House on August 22nd, 2026. This is the year!
Come and tell me about your favourite MMF memories, give me some marriage advice and let’s toast to the past, present and future of Gravenhurst!
Ten years is worth marking properly, and there’s no one I’d rather mark it with than with all of you, music, wine and song!
With love and gratitude,
Miranda
Founder and Artistic Director, Muskoka Music Festival
LOVE!!!!! Huge congrats on a decade of incredible musical programming, with so much heart!! And cheers to you and Mark. I love that pic of you two. xo