The Hillside state of mind

Written by Zack MacRae

 

This past summer I went to Hillside, Guelph’s renowned outdoor music festival. And what an experience!  There were drum circles until four in the morning, the best local foods, an obvious focus on sustainability, skinny dipping, and of course a diverse line-up of talented musicians.

During the day, I volunteered at the front gate greeting the many people, young and old, who had bought weekend passes. When I wasn’t volunteering I was able to take advantage of the many workshops, food vendors and stages that the festival had to offer. Camping out at the Guelph Lake conservation area for the weekend in the volunteer area, affectionately known as “tent city,” was the most memorable experience of my summer. The best part about Hillside was that it helped me understand the diverse group of people that make up our strong community.

So with the third annual Hillside Inside Festival to be held at the Sleeman centre in early February, how does the festival keep its integrity and non-corporate status?

Sam Baijal, Hillside Artistic Director and festival veteran of over 20 years, views the summer and winter festivals as one in the same.

“The core ethics of the festival are still the same, we are self-sustainable. We have been green before the word was being used,” he said.

The Inside festival will still focus on the importance of recycling and environmental consciousness. All of the dishes used at the festival are reusable, with a dishwashing station set up in the zamboni room.

Festival planners are also forerunners of a rather novel idea that other festivals just have not come around to yet: free water. Imagine that, you bring in a reusable drinking container and get as much free water as you can drink.

One of the major challenges that festival planners came across with having an outdoor inspired festival in a hockey arena, was creating a natural and organic setting.

“We had to Hillside-ify it,” said Baijal.

Much like the summer festival where you could walk around to several stages, Inside will have two alternating stages for ongoing music. The audience will be standing on astro turf and the décor around the arena will try to take you into a Hillside state of mind.

One of the reasons that Hillside Inside exists is to give University of Guelph students, who may not be around in the summer, a chance to experience what Hillside is like. It’s an opportunity for students to interact with the downtown community and see great music at the same time.

Festival planners are trying to bridge the gap between the university and downtown core, introducing many students to the possibilities of downtown Guelph. The initiative is primarily a downtown revitalization project.
“Part of our initiative is to help the downtown sector,” said Baijal, “to being some vibrancy into the community.”

With artists like Ani Difranco, Hawksley Workman and Woodhands playing, Baijal is hoping to bring in a diverse crowd.

“The programming is totally a slice of what you would see in the summer. It’s not designed for one age group, it’s for a diverse audience,” he said.

For Baijal the best part about the Hillside experience is watching the audience enjoy the music.

 “There is a cross pollination of age groups,” said Baijal, “parents discover artists that their kids listen to and vice versa.”

So if you are a student who might not be around this summer, get “Hillside-ified” Inside, this winter.

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