In 2018, Home County Music & Art Festival celebrates 45 years of being London’s premier summer festival. That’s 45 years of music, art and food, in downtown London’s beautiful Victoria Park. This ‘admission by donation’ event features Canada’s best roots, traditional and indie folk/pop acts.
The festival site is wheelchair accessible and close to Richmond Row shopping and downtown hotels.
Mission and Vision
The Home County Folk League enriches and supports the cultural life of London’s four-county community through the presentation of predominantly Canadian roots-oriented music and original crafts and art at our annual summer festival and various events throughout the year. In all our work, we ensure socially responsible choices and environmental leadership.
Awards
2016 Top 100 Festivals & Events Ontario
For the 7th Year in a row, the Home County Music & Art Festival was chosen by Festivals & Events Ontario as one of Ontario’s Top 100 Festivals in Ontario.
2014 -2016 Best Local Festival/Event Runner-Up
Awarded by the London Free Press
2009 Pillar Award for Environmental Impact
2009 London Green Festivals Gold Award
In 2009, Home County Folk Festival was awarded at the Municipal Waste Association’s Annual Promotion & Educations Awards for Best Grassroots Campaign 2009.
2008 Recycling Council of Ontario Gold Award
The environment is a top priority for the Home County Folk Festival. In 2008, a new Greening initiative was introduced between the City of London, Waste Free World and other festivals to reduce the environmental impact festivals produce in waste. Successfully, Home County diverted 70% of the waste from going to landfill. These achievements resulted in the RCO Gold Award being awarded to the greening committee.
Londons Featured Community Organization
In 2007, The City of London honoured Home County Folk Festival with this prestigious award for valuable contributions to the community.
Funding and Sustainability
Funds to operate Home County Festival are raised through the vendors fees paid by craft artists and food vendors, grants from the local, provincial and federal governments, goods sold by Home County (programs and merchandise), donations by the audience and corporate sponsorship as well as concerts held throughout the year.
Our budget is developed annually and every effort is made to pay all expenses in the year they are incurred and to have funds to prepare for the next festival year as well as to cover the ongoing costs (insurance, office expenses, etc).
Trivia
Q: Where does the name Home County come from?
A: “Home counties” is an informal phrase used to designate the group of South East England counties that border or surround London, England. The home counties have no official definition but are usually understood as coinciding with the London commuter belt or the London Metropolitan Area. In England in 1926, the Home Counties (Music and Dancing) Licensing Act regulated activities in all parts of Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey within 20 miles of the City of London (source: Webster’s Online Dictionary).
Based on this geographical concept, our founding festival organizers came up with the name H.O.M.E. County in 1974, as an acronym for Huron, Oxford, Middlesex, Elgin—the four counties in southwestern Ontario surrounding the city of London and area.
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