Saltyjam music festival cancelled for this year
Saint John's Saltyjam music festival is calling it quits after 19 years in the city.
Organizers made the announcement on their Facebook page on Monday.
Heather Quinn, one of the festival's organizers says getting sponsors and support after last year's festival proved too difficult.
Last summer, organizers planned for Saltyjam to be a street festival. The shows would be free and it would include activities for all ages.
Since the festival relied heavily on government grants, organizers believed this model could help make Saltyjam more sustainable in the future.
But post-tropical storm Arthur forced the event to move inside the Marco Polo Cruise Terminal and turn out was low.
"This year when we started asking for sponsorships, we realize it's a battle we're continuing to face," Quinn said. "So we decided maybe it's time for something new to have it's opportunity in the city and maybe it's time for Saltyjam to move on."
Saltyjam got its start back in 1995 as the Saint John Jazz and Blues Festival. Since then it had gained non-profit status and became incorporated.
It has featured many acts over the years including Joel Plaskett, Jeff Healy, Hey Rosetta, Ross Neilson, David Myles and many more.
City cultural affairs officer Bernard Cormier says Saltyjam was a great festival that people enjoyed. But he says the festival struggled in finding its own unique identity.
"A music festival needs to be original in its concept too. And you can tell over the years by the evolution of Saltyjam that it didn't really know what direction it wanted to go to," Cormier said.
Cormier says the city still needs its own signature event that will attract people both in and outside the city.
Quinn says she's confident a new event will fill the opening Saltyjam is leaving.
"I don't want people to think Saltyjam died because of any one particular thing. I just think it ran its course and now it's time for something new and innovative to come into the city and be a little more self-sustaining," Quinn said.
"So it's not as reliable on government grants that fluctuate with budgets."
