Ottawa Valley Stomp: Petawawa’s new music lumberjack festival

The Ottawa Valley STOMP and Lumberjack Festival is coming to Petawawa this June. CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports.

A brand-new music and outdoors festival is coming to the Ottawa Valley this summer.

The Ottawa Valley Stomp and Lumberjack Festival will be hosted at the Petawawa Civic Centre Park June 27-29.

“The Ottawa Valley Stomp is a three-day music and entertainment festival for all ages,” said James Dent, one of the festival’s organizers.

“It encompasses everything that’s good about the Ottawa Valley and our heritage.”

Ottawa Valley Stomp says the weekend music line-up is leaning hard into nostalgia and throwback artists from the 80’s, featuring Honeymoon Suite, The Box, Mudmen, Neon Nostalgic, East Coast Kitchen Experience, and Latin Sensation, UNO LIVE.

Organizers say the festival will also feature a lumberjack festival and competition, a chainsaw carving challenge, a battle of the bands showcase, car and truck shows, and vendors from multiple food festivals including ribs, poutine, and butter tarts.

“We do lots of festivals in Ottawa already, and we’re both originally from here,” organizers said. “And we thought we need to put it in our backyard.”

Ottawa Valley Stomp is the second such all Canadian major music festival announced for the Ottawa Valley this summer, along with Guitars and Gasoline in Calabogie, which are events that can create huge economic impacts for their respective communities.

“There’s so much going on that it’s not just going to attract locals, but from across the county and even from outside the county, especially two big draws like Honeymoon Suite and The Box,” said Petawawa Mayor Gary Serviss.

Organizers say the festival will also be supporting local food banks throughout the region.

Dent says with popularity, the goal is to host different communities across the Ottawa Valley host the festival each summer.

For year one, organizers are anticipating 25,000 people to come through Petawawa over the Canada Day long weekend.

“For many, many years, people in the Ottawa Valley had to travel outside the Ottawa Valley to other music festivals in nearby towns, and now we have it coming to us,” said Serviss.

“So, I think it’s great not only for Petawawa but for everybody in that area to not have to travel to see your favorite 80’s band.”

Single day ticket prices start at $62.50, with weekend passes beginning at $99. Tickets for the festival are on sale now at www.ottawavalleystomp.ca.