Family Shows Canada (FSC), which runs London’s Ribfest, is bringing a music and art festival to downtown London, Ont. in July.
The festival will try to fill a void left by the departure of the Home County Music and Art Festival (HCMAF).
“It’s going to be very similar to what I do now with Ribfest,” said Doug Hillier, owner of FSC. “I will not hire any entertainer past two hundred kilometres away. Home County had entertainers from across Canada and that would be very expensive. They had five stages and I will go down to two, so those are the big differences.”
Hillier said he has been questioned whether he can pull this off the same way it was with HCMAF, and he is adamant it won’t be as he won’t use big name artists.
An undated image of Doug Hillier, owner of Family Shows Canada. He plans to hold the London Music and Art Festival in downtown London, Ont. in July 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)“However I see the crowd that is there, and I’m hoping they will enjoy my rendition of it,” said Hillier. “It will be a combination of all my events. They (HCMAF) were music and I was always food with music. The food is the star, where in this one, the music is the star. We’ve always had 25-50 bands at Ribfest with all genres, even folk”.
Hillier said unlike HCMAF, his festival will have to be self-sustaining and not requiring a grant.
He believes he is qualified to pull off the festival.
The Home County Music and Art Festival in 2019. HCMAF announced it will not be returning in 2024. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)CTV has spoken with a few people – who wished not to be named – who questioned Hillier’s choice of logo which looks very similar to the HCMAF, and also referencing the 50-year old HCMAF in his vendor application.
He has added the word London to his logo but it looks very similar. On his FSC website, he showed the logos for the two festivals side by side.
“I did that on purpose, it is not to rip off Home County, it’s to show respect,” said Hillier. “If they want to come back, I want the same vendors to come back. I’ve made a deal with them (HCMAF) and the city that after this year if they want to come back, I’ll give it up.”
The festival is planned for July 12-14, 2024.
