Complete lineup is announced for Kingfest, which is coming later in June

Kingfest, the first largescale music festival in York, has announced its complete lineup for the June 22-24 event.

The Friday evening concert June 22 opens with King City band The Salads, at 6 p.m. in the festival's beer tent, while Joel Plaskett, the Trews and Sloan will hit the main stage starting at 7:30 p.m. and closing at 11 p.m. approximately.

The Saturday evening main stage concert, which follows a full day of activities on three other stages, features (in order of appearance) an all-Canadian cast of Oh Susanna, Justin Rutledge, Lynn Miles, the Jim Cuddy Band and Prairie Oyster.

The Sunday evening concert features Susan Werner, Ndidi Onukwulu with Madagascar Slim, Sarah Harmer and Bruce Cockburn.

Hosts of the weekend main stage concerts will be Winnipeg's comic performer Al Simmons (the only performer on the bill who's starred on Sesame Street) and Toronto guitarist and comedian Wendell Ferguson.

A memorable site for a

memorable event

Kingfest is to be held on the campus of Seneca College in King City. The rolling site is the former Eaton estate, and is one of the most beautiful festival venues in Ontario.

Randi Fratkin, the event's artistic director, said that while it will follow the traditional format of folk festivals, the range of music being presented will be far wider.

"What it all has in common is that it's rooted in various music genres of the past that have made popular music what it is now," Fratkin commented.

Like other festivals, and there are now more than 60 such events across the country, Kingfest features an extensive daytime program of workshops, concerts and sessions over Saturday and Sunday, with a number of informal appearances by many of the artists who are appearing on the main stage. Members of Jim Cuddy's band and Prairie Oyster will also take part in daytime programming, as will Justin Rutledge, Lynn Miles, Susan Werner and Oh Susanna.

Daytime programming

offers intriguing choices

Artists taking part in Kingfest daytime programming include Nashville performer Kieran Kane (formerly a member of the best-selling country band The O'Kanes), Canadian songwriters Katherine Wheatley, Nancy Dutra, Ariana Gillis, Pat Robitaille, and the duo Dala, as well as several artists from the York Region area.

Mike Stevens, the Sarniabased harmonica virtuoso, will appear with multiinstrumentalist Ray McLain, and they will also take part in a Sunday afternoon gospel show on the main stage along with the Toronto Mass Choir.

A program for kids will be run by King Day Camp staff, and will include performances by Al Simmons and the band Sho Mo & The Monkey Bunch.

A food vending area, an artisan village and a festival merchandise and CD tent are also on-site.

Tickets on sale

Tickets are now on sale at all Ticketmaster outlets in Ontario, by phone at (416) 870-8000 or on the web at www.ticketmaster.com, with prices ranging from single day tickets at $37.50 (Friday evening) to all-day passes for Saturday and Sunday at $32.00. A bargain-priced three-day pass is set at $79.50. Tickets are also available at various locations within York Region, listed on the event's Web site.