Stoked for the Holidays returns for 19th year this weekend

The spirit of the season is in full gear and Stoked for the Holidays is ready for another year of celebrating youth culture and independent music in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. With the 12 Bands of Christmas encompassing a variety of different musical styles and performance backgrounds, the annual event gives music lovers young and old an opportunity to see a cross-section of the musical dynamic of the community.

Stoked for the Holidays began in 1998 at Centre 200, presented by the Youth Association of Glace Bay. While the performers have changed, the ideals of young people making music with no strings attached remains the same. Since the first Stoked, the event has been a staple of the local music scene and has seen bands such as Rock Ranger, Carleton Stone (of Port Cities), Slowcoaster, Sprag Session, Carmen Townsend, Greg MacPherson, and The Lighthouse Choir hit the stage amongst dozens of other performers.

“The significance of this event is the opportunities it provides for young people to perform and to be inspired by performance,” says CBRM Recreation Program Coordinator Joe Costello. “It’s always been a great way to see what music is relevant in our community from year to year.”

The 2018 edition of Stoked for the Holidays will take place Saturday, December 22nd at Undercurrent Youth Centre in Sydney. The event will feature 12 performances from local artists such as veteran rock group Fire Valley Fire, Makin’ Waves/CBMIC Front Stage alumni Bailey Shibinette and Breagh Kelly, acclaimed songwriter Alicia Penney, punk rockers Keith Doom & the Wrecking Crew, and emerging artists Kadima, Floodgate, Seth Williams, New Draft, Quik Fhix, Madison & Mitchell, and Destiny Tobin. A Holiday Music Market will also be on site, featuring merchandise from local independent performers, ‘zine makers, and more.

Stoked for the Holidays is a youth project of CBRM’s ConnectArts program and has been organized by students and recent alumni of Riverview High School, Glace Bay High, and Breton Education Centre. Admission to the event is $10, or $5 with food or winter wear donations, and proceeds will be donated to the Ally Centre of Cape Breton.