Home County Festival to return for a single day of music in Victoria Park

Organizers with the Home County Folk League (HCFL) are looking for volunteers as they plan for the return of a one-day edition of the folk festival this summer. 

For the second year, the Home County Music and Art Festival will return to Victoria Park for a day of live music. Previously an annual multi-day event, organizers were forced to announce a pause two years ago due to financial constraints but have managed to schedule smaller-scale versions as they work to rebuild. 

"We essentially had a whole group of Londoners step forward and say this festival is very important for us," said HCFL chair Anna Donaldson. 

Home County was first launched in 1974 and became a fixture of London's cultural identity, celebrating Canadian music and arts and crafts. It ran on donations, public funding and vendor fees and operated as a registered charity.

In 2023, its board said costs for the festival had gone up, while income streams did not. It also said it had trouble recruiting new board members with the know-how to run a three-day festival, as well as the hundreds of volunteers required to be on hand to bring the show to life.  

However, community response led to the formation of a new organizing committee dedicated to exploring ways to revive the festival. 

The details are still in the works, but 2025 is a "revitalization year," said Donaldson, which means Home County is going to look different from other iterations over the past 50 years. In addition to live music, it will feature a juried craft show showing Canadian artisans in pottery, jewellery, fine art, textiles, woodwork, photography, and gourmet food.

"We're making sure that we have a little something for everyone down at the park," she said. "Again, that's something that Home County has always brought, something a little bit different, which is lots of different options for people to enjoy in the park." 

Looking back at 50 years of Home County in London

8 months ago

Duration 6:08

Diane Morrow and Dan Ebbs penned the book Crazy Beautiful People - 50 Years of Enchanting Stories of Home County Festival. They joined London Morning to talk about the long-time folk festival ahead of the Home County Summer Celebration taking place at the London Brewing Co-op on Saturday, Aug. 24, from 1 to 10 p.m.

Artist announcements can be expected in the coming weeks, she added. The festival is also looking for leaders and community partners to help shape its future. 

Home County has hosted hundreds of Canadian musicians, including Valdy, William Prince and later Aysanabee. It has given many local artists a stage to introduce their music, including The Pairs.