Vancouver Island MusicFest Recap

That's a wrap on the 2022 edition of Vancouver Island MusicFest.

That's a wrap on the 2022 edition of Vancouver Island MusicFest.

Performers took to the stage - and the crowds were in front of them - in Courtenay for the first time since before the pandemic began.

Organizers had managed to run virtual events in each of the last two years.

MusicFest's Marketing Manager, Susan Wood, says it was great to be back with a 'sold out' audience, adding the support was felt throughout the weekend.

Woods says there were many magical moments and memorable performances that wouldn't have happened without an army of around 1300 volunteers, sponsors, and suppliers.

MusicFest began in 1995, growing from a small gathering to one of Canada's premier Roots, Folk and Global Music Festivals.

The festival features 5 to 7 stages annually at the Courtenay Exhibition Grounds.

Organizers say they follow the model of a traditional Western Canadian Folk Festival with the focus on workshops, jam sessions, song circles and concerts.

Meanwhile, calls for better lighting on Headquarters Road, and better enforcement to keep speeds down, after a pair of cyclists and a pedestrian were struck by a vehicle outside MusicFest in Courtenay this weekend.

The three were hit Saturday night around 11pm - and a post on Facebook identifies two of the victims as performers at Musicfest.

‘The Show Goats’, a five-piece band from Courtenay, posted on Sunday that their afternoon performance would have to be a trio after two members were hit by a car in front of the festival Saturday night.

The post says "At the request of Michelle and Corey 'THE SHOW MUST GO ON'.

Carl, who owns Headquarters Mini-Storage, near where the three were hit, says while incidents as serious as this aren't too common, a little more lighting in the area would help.

Others on social media say they'd like to see a better police presence in some areas of Headquarters Road known for drag racing.