5 fun things to do on P.E.I. this weekend

The Cavendish Beach Music Festival is the big attraction this weekend, with more than 20,000 people expected to take in the shows Friday to Monday.

But unless you already have tickets, you might be out of luck. Single-day tickets for Sunday, when countrystar Luke Bryan takes the stage, are already sold out.

If you were thinking of catching Gordie Sampson at the Trailside this weekend, you're also out of luck. His shows Friday and Saturday are sold out, as is the Sunday night's performance by the Amanda Jackson Band.

But there are other music option available this weekend, as well as comedy and theatre offerings.

1. P.E.I. Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival

Pitch the tent, put some ice in the cooler and sit back and enjoy the music at the "big field" in Rollo Bay.

It's the 33rd year for the P.E.I. Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival, which runs from Friday to Sunday. Weekend passes are $65 and include camping Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Day passes are also available. Children are welcome, and get in free if they're under 14 and with a parent.

The music plays all day Friday and Saturday until around 10 p.m., and until mid-afternoon Sunday.

On Saturday there are workshops on how to play the banjo, guitar, bass and fiddle.

2. Racoon Bandit

The Charlottetown indie-rock group Racoon Bandit is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with what it's calling an "old-school burner of a pub show" Friday night at Fishbones Oyster Bar and Grill.

The band released two new singles this week, Modern Life and Tattered Star.

Songwriter Alicia Toner and her band will kick off the night at 11 p.m.

3. Shaun Majumder Hate Tour

Fret not. Despite the title, Shaun Majumber says Hate is going to be funny.

But it will also be thought-provoking.

"Being a person of mixed race, coming from Newfoundland and travelling as I've done and now living in Los Angeles and seeing Trump and seeing how he's given rise to this feeling," Majumder said in a recent interview with Mainstreet P.E.I.

"Hate seems to be trending, so let's talk about it."

The This Hour Has 22 Minutes comedian brings the show to Summerside's Harbourfront Theatre on Friday night. Tickets are $50.50.

4. Island Summer Review

Sticking with comedy, the Island Summer Review featuring Patrick Ledwell and Mark Haines began its new season Thursday night. You can catch the second show Friday night at Harmony House Theatre in Hunter River.

The show a blend of stand-up jokes, foot-stomping fiddle tunes and real Island news stories will take a special look at the connection between the Island and its Atlantic Canadian neighbours, according to the theatre's website.

"There's nothing Islanders like better than hopping over to Moncton, or trying to drive in Halifax. This year's show will have fun seeing the East Coast through a P.E.I. perspective, and finding the heartstrings that pull us closely together."

The Island Summer Review will play every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night until Aug. 31. Tickets are $24.

5. A Moon for the Misbegotten

If live theatre is more your thing, a new play opens Friday at Watermark Theatre in North Rustico.

A Moon for the Misbegotten is a love story set in 1923 between a Broadway actor and Connecticut farm girl.

Watermark calls it "a unique blend of comedy, tragedy, autobiography, and imagination" that "plumbs the depth of the human spirit with tremendous redemptive power."

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