'If you don't see it, build it': New festival brings family-friendly entertainment to Dartmouth waterfront

The inaugural FamFest Atlantic brought music, theatre, dance, magic, comedy and circus to Alderney Landing Saturday and Sunday. The event was billed as “an indie arts festival made for families who still like good stuff,” and was designed for an audience of all ages. It was also an opportunity for young performers to share a venue with established artists.

“FamFest is the festival where kids can be kids, grown-ups can be grown-ups, and we don’t have to compromise on music for either party,” said co-founder Allegra Swanson. She and founding partner Craig Mercer are veterans of the Nova Scotia music industry and members of the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council. They started FamFest because local festivals are designed exclusively for adults or children, she said.

“People who are there to hear good music as adults can enjoy that and we can kind of tailor it for kids,” Swanson said. “Shorter sets, a site that makes sense for kids, things to do and play with to keep them on site for multiple hours, so their parents can still feel like they’re able to experience live music and performance in a way where they’re not compromising for their family.”

The music was accompanied by artistic performances, food and family activities that included obstacle courses and sports, a box city play area, a creative zone for making art, parent Olympics, an instrument petting zoo and a red-carpet entry where families could get photos taken.

“There’s no way it’s ever going to be perfect, but we aim to do our best,” Swanson said. “When it comes to making it accessible for all ages, to me that’s about the amenities on site. Make sure there’s shade, water activities for kids to have that big-body play and burn off energy. Something that was really important to us was re-entry; understanding that sometimes your kid puts you in a position where you have to take a break from a festival, but that doesn’t mean you should have to go home for good for the evening.”

The impetus to build something new arose through Swanson’s own experience. She trained as an opera singer, moved into audio engineering, worked for a record label and eventually got experience in event production working for the Juno Awards.

“Live events and multidisciplinary events where different genres of music are represented have always been really important to me,” Swanson said.

After years of dragging her children to shows that weren’t built for them, she said she thought about structuring events around all ages instead of all genres and found a partner with complementary skills in Mercer.

“I took my daughter to see The Chicks at the Halifax Music Festival, and it was amazing,” she said. “The kids were able to be there. I think that’s a huge step for the city as a whole. But the site isn’t built for a seven-year-old at 11 p.m.”

Swanson said one person told her FamFest is more affordable than a regular concert because they don’t have to pay for a babysitter.

“It’s cheaper to bring the kids, which is convenient,” she said. “It’s just a bonus when we’re talking about kids getting access to this kind of stuff.”

Swanson said adults without children told her it was a great chance to see their friends with families. But for the kids, it’s about more than attending an event.

“It’s about being able to see yourself in some of these roles,” Swanson said. Famfest included youth performers and students in stage management positions. “We’re interested in expanding and providing opportunities for youth to shadow some of our lead volunteer roles, to understand how to sell artist merch or how to be a stage manager. It’s about seeing yourself as a potential performer, but also as a potential industry member, because that’s something we’re really lacking in this province. Industry to support all our wonderful artists."

It’s not an easy time for the arts with funding cuts, Swanson said, but there are always opportunities to create and contribute to your community.

“If you don’t see it, build it,” she said.

FamFest is produced by Ultrasound Music and curated in partnership with the MacPhee Centre for Creative Learning.