Do you hear what we hear? We’re looking forward to getting into the holiday spirit next month when Blue Jay Sessions returns for another fun popup full of music and festive food and drinks for a great cause.
Blue Jay Sessions: Holiday Edition will feature 24 Canadian musicians over the course of four days at the Prairie Emporium. Performers include 2020 Country Music Alberta Horizon Male Artist of the Year and current CCMA Award nominee Ryan Lindsay, 2020 Country Music Alberta Horizon Female Artist of The Year Mariya Stokes, CKUA chart-topping singer D’orjay The Singing Shaman (Edmonton), current Project Wild finalists Drew Gregory, Alex Hughes and Robert Adam as well as Manitoba’s Juno Award-nominated Desiree Dorion and Emma Peterson, Ontario’s Alessia Cohle and many more.
“I took part in the first songwriters’ circle of Blue Jay Sessions in the summer of 2019,” says Manitoba-based singer Desiree Dorion (pictured above). “Since then I’ve watched it grow, and it remains as supportive of independent artists today as it was the first time I sat down for that very first session.”
Like usual, performers will share their original tunes and tell their stories behind the songs...but they will also be adding in a holiday tune or two into the mix because, well, ‘tis the season!
Attendees can expect some holiday-inspired food and drink including “turkey dinner” hot dogs, Christmas ham clubhouse sandwiches, Russell Brewing Co. seasonal stouts and ales, mulled wine and spiked hot chocolate. New this time around is a Sunday brunch session—chock-full of eggs Benedicts and mimosas—headed up by acclaimed rocker Matt Blais as well as alt-R&B act Denise Valle and country artist Ashley Ghostkeeper.
The sessions will also be helping to raise funds and awareness for local food security charity Community Kitchen Program of Calgary. In addition to partial ticket proceeds being donated, custom Blue Jay Sessions holiday cards as well as tree ornaments will be available for purchase with 100 per cent of the funds being allocated to CKP Calgary.
Tickets are $20 each and are now available for purchase via Showpass.
The weekend following its holiday event series, Blue Jay Sessions and a handful of its cornerstone performers will head to London, ON for a special pop-up leading up to the 2021 Canadian Country Music Awards—the event series is currently in the running for the Live Innovation Award. Expect performances by celebrated Alberta talent as well as other notable up-and-coming acts from coast to coast.
