Northern Lights Festival Boreal director Max Merrifield steps down

After a year of numerous challengesbecause of the ongoing pandemic, a long-running music festival in Sudbury has one more big change coming:Northern Lights Festival Boreal is losing its current executive director.

Max Merrifield has held the position for the past eight years, but has decided to remain on as the festival's artistic director role. That means "doing all the programming, booking and ... setting the overall artistic vision for the organization."

Unlike the executive director,it's not a position that requires being in an office full time, he said.

"I am really happy to continue with Northern Lights and to be able to focus my energy on the artistic stuff which is something I'm very, very passionate about."

Merrifield is the son of Scott Merrifield and Vickie McGauley, who are festival founders and past artistic directors.

This year has been a big challenge for the NLFB, but he sayshe's proud of how they still found ways to bring live music to the community in the midst of a pandemic.

"I think a little part of me is going to miss the behind-the-scenes and the nitty-gritty of what it takes to make these events happen," he added.

"Because there's really nothing like it.It's a real Jack-of-all trades type of job. It's rewarding and stressful and challenging."

Merrifield said hehopes they'll be able to hold an in-person festival next year. But organizers are prepared for all possible scenarios depending on what happens with COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the search is on to find a new executive director of Canada's longest-running music and arts festival.

The organization has posted the executive director position on itswebsite at nlfb.ca/news, with a closing date ofOct. 2.