Waterloo Arts Festival

[young raoul]

Just talked to several of the artists who performed at this gig - this was a first year gig produced by Phil Silly & Colin of the Silly Peeps - a rousing freaking success! I know Phil has been working his ass off on this gig over the past year and the boys deserve a big shout out for a job well done - artists were Lee Zimmerman, Rob Torres, Dean (Green Fools), The Jim Show, Stacy Clark (High Strung), John Ulyatt, Aytahn - and a whole bunch of people I don't know - circle this weekend on your calendar, this is going to be a rock solid gig that's only going to get bigger and better - rock on Sillies!

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[Rachel Peters]

I was there on Saturday with family, enjoying shows, artwork, and harassing Zimmerman with giant marshmallow hamburgers.

It went very well, in my opinion. I was surprised by the turn out for a first year, and for being tucked away in an unseen part of a giant park. Waterloo likes the arts and puts effort into supporting local events.

My sister, a musician from Kitchener/Waterloo, did point out that Waterloo has so many more forms of art to offer and she'd enjoy coming back to see some music -- more arts to distinguish it from the Waterloo Busker Fest. Waterloo is also home to a lot of musicians.

That said, it still stood out as something distinctly different enough from the busker fest in its structure. It had a strong community feel.

Well done, hats off, etc.

Great selection of performers.

[Rob Torres]

Waterloo Arts Fest

I finally have a few moments to pop in and drop a quick note. Congratulations to Phil and Colin for a great success at WAF. As producers they really took care of the details. As a performer, I have to say it was a comfy hang with good shows in a beautiful park. The turn out (despite the competition from a beer and barbecue fest) was teriffic and a good time was had by all (as far as I know). Thanks again Phil and Colin for a great time. Cheers, - Rob

[Lynneski]

It was good for me too

I participated in the Waterloo Arts Fest as a visual artist - something I've done at other gigs large and teeny for the past four years. I went to this one with small expectations for a first time thing, and was pleasantly impressed on all fronts. We (myself and the other artists I spoke with) felt included and well-supported - a feat that 30 year old arts festivals haven't been able to achieve! We were part of the programming, not an afterthought. I actually made some money, and suspect that most at least made back their investment, and some did very well indeed.

But what bode well for the festival were the number of artists who dropped in to check out the scene, and made the rounds to get a few (positive) opinions, and the fact that I was invitied to participate in three other shows by folks who'd come to recruit. Clearly, this fest has established itself with the local visual art community.

Hats off to Phil, Colin and Val and the rest of the gang.