Area 506 Festival announces lineup for Saint John event

Saint John's waterfront will be bustling on New Brunswick Day, with a new summer festival bringing music, culture and local products aboard shipping containers on Long Wharf.

Area 506, a newly-formed group planning the event, revealed the musical lineup onThursday at Saint John restaurantBourbon Quarter.

Ray Gracewood, the chair of Area 506, said the concept for the inaugural event was well received duringan interview Friday onInformation Morning Saint John.

"Basicallywe felt there was a real gap in having a strong event that allowed us to celebrate our province from different perspectives," Gracewood said.

"And as we thought things through a bit, we boiled it down to three different parts. It's musicand it's culture and goods."

Information Morning - Saint John9:05Area 506 festival announces lineup

Ray Gracewood is chair of The Area 506 Festival that takes place July 29th through 31st.

Shipping container village

The three-day festival launches on July 29 with a series of bar events and menu tastingsaround uptown Saint John. Saturday's New Brunswick showcase will include 1755 and headliner Matt Andersen and the Bona Fide.

Big Sugar, July Talk and headliner Grace Potter will round outSunday's lineup of music.

Everyone is begging for a big event in the summer this is the festival the province deserves- Ray Gracewood, Area 506 chair

All of New Brunswick's cities and small towns have been invited to showcase their wares at Long Wharf, which will be transformed into a shipping container village.

"The idea being it's a melting pot of everything New Brunswick has to offerand a celebration for the positive things going on in our province and colourful, vibrant containers is the perfect esthetic for the whole thing," Gracewood said.

"Each of these communities has a story to tell whether that's an event, a product, a celebrity, anything. It's an opportunity for these towns to come together and show everybody what they've got."

Discover Saint John is a partner on the festivalandPort Saint John is supplying the venue.

Early bird tickets have gone on sale for $59. Gracewood says they priced the tickets to make the event sustainable longterm. He hopes to see a turnout of about 5,000 people.

"Over the course of several years the event is going to live on, that's the whole purpose," he said.

"Everyone is begging for a big event in the summer. Specifically in Saint John, but New Brunswick in general this is the festival the province deserves, to have everyone come together and celebrate everything that's good and positive about the province, and do it in a big way."