Last month, the Ontario’s Blue Coast summer students had the pleasure of attending one of Sarnia’s most awaited annual events, Bluewater Borderfest. The first Borderfest was held in 2017 and ever since then people all over Ontario have been looking forward to attending each year. The event took place in Centennial Park, a beautiful location overlooking the St. Clair River. Over the course of 3 days we were able to make memories, try some amazing food from local vendors and, of course, listen to some great music from a variety of talented artists.
Vendor information:
There were a variety of food vendors including Honestly Dough, Kona Pizza, Lemon Heaven, Dude Bro Potato Co. and many more tasty eats. Not only were we able to listen to some amazing music at this event, but also able to eat some delicious food. There were beer tents run with the help of Bluewater Boxing and their volunteers. They were serving up a variety of beer and other canned alcoholic drinks throughout the course of the weekend. There was a merch booth at the event, selling Borderfest merchandise as well as a variety of artist merchandise, which ranged from clothing to CDs to stickers and even meet and greets!
Performance Recaps:
Day 1: Thursday, June 20
Performers: Rumblefish, C + C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams, Young MC, Color Me Badd and Vanilla Ice.
The first night of Borderfest kicked off with a great set from local band, Rumblefish. They performed a number of popular cover songs, getting the crowd pumped up for the rest of the evening. Next up was C + C Music Factory, featuring original member Freedom Williams. They performed a number of hit songs, including crowd favorite “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).” After that Young MC took the stage, also performing some of his biggest hits, including the famous “Bust a Move.”
At this point it was clear that the crowd was growing more and more excited for each act as the applause continued to get louder with each song. Color Me Badd was the next to perform, and they ended up being my favorite performance of the night. The audience was in awe as they performed their most popular songs accompanied by some amazingly choreographed dancing. They continued to wow the crowd by bringing on a saxophone player and throwing red roses to people in the audience. Next on stage was the headliner of the night, Vanilla Ice. It was clear that he knew what he was doing on stage, as he instantly had the audience hooked. He played a number of hits including “Ice Ice Baby,” “Ninja Rap” and “Play That Funky Music.” Prior to his performance of “Ninja Rap” he brought out Michelangelo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, getting the crowd even more excited. Throughout his set he sprayed the crowd with water and tossed out t-shirts.
Day 2: Friday, June 21
Performers: Born Riot, Saint Asonia, Skillet and Bush.
After an incredible first night of Borderfest, I could not wait to return for night two. Ontario-based Born Riot kicked off the night with some amazing songs that got the crowd ready for an amazing night of music. They played a variety of songs, including some of their newest hits. The next to take the stage was Saint Asonia, who is made up of members from bands such as Three Days Grace and Finger Eleven. They played a variety of music ranging from their biggest hits, songs off their newest album and covers of some of the popular songs that were originally made while in their previous bands. The crowd absolutely loved their set, and it was clear that the excitement for the rest of the night was continuing to grow. After Saint Asonia performed, it was time for Skillet to take the stage. Not only was the music amazing, they had a great stage presence, as well as special effects ranging from elevated platforms they performed on and various machines shooting fog at the crowd. The added elements definitely took their set to the next level, making it a memorable performance for all!
At this point, the audience could not wait to see what the headlining act, Bush, had in store. Throughout the night the crowd had continued to grow as more people gathered at the stage in anticipation for the final act of the night. You could feel the excitement and exhilaration as they took the stage and the fans erupted with cheer as both new and old songs were performed. It was amazing to be able to see the passion that the band had while performing for their adoring fans.
The amazing performances mixed with the passion of the fans made for an incredible night that will be hard to forget!
Day 3: Saturday, June 22
Performers: I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, Scott Stapp of Creed and Our Lady Peace.
The final night of the most anticipated event of the year, Bluewater Borderfest, featured Candian artists such as I Mother Earth, Finger Eleven, Our Lady Peace, as well as American rockstar Scott Stapp of Creed. I Mother Earth set the stage for the night, putting on an impeccable performance. Light rain didn’t stand in the way of IME; they riled up the crowd and ensured the mood was set for the rest of the night. And don’t even get me started on their stage presence! It was clear right from the beginning of the setlist that I Mother Earth was passionate about their music and wanted to share that feeling with the crowd. Following IME, Finger Eleven, had the crowd’s undivided attention, including us! Finger Eleven played their hit songs, including “One Thing” and “Paralyzer.” The reaction from the crowd when they heard the first chords in “One Thing” was incredible. The crowd sang along with every single word which made the performance even more thrilling. After Finger Eleven’s stellar performance, we anxiously waited for Scott Stapp to begin. The crowd was so excited to welcome Scott Stapp to the stage. He was such a wonderful performer! Listening to Scott Stapp perform Creed’s “One Last Breath” was breathtaking. He held out his microphone for the crowd to sing along and it blew us away. The energy of the crowd was amazing. If you’ve never seen Scott Stapp perform live, we highly recommend that you do! The final band of the night and festival took the stage soon afterwards. Our Lady Peace was the perfect way to end Bluewater Borderfest. The crowd could not get enough of OLP, their set was perfect! Every single member of the band had their time to shine, which captivated the audience. Hearing “Superman’s Dead” live was insane. The lights, screaming crowd, music, and energy was something none of us will forget for a long time.
After their performances this weekend, we can’t wait until the next time all of these artists come back! Seeing so many fans being able to gather together to listen to beloved artists was truly wonderful to see! Make sure to keep up with Bluewater Borderfest’s social media accounts to stay up to date about next year’s festivities!
