How Fogfest Put Campobello Island on the Map

As New Brunswick day approaches, so does the beloved music festival located on Charlotte County’s very own Campobello Island - Fogfest! In honour of Fogfest, this week’s episode of Southwest Magazine will be dedicated to last year’s event and the discussion around what we can expect in 2021. Joining Vicki Hogarth is Theresa Mitchell, board member of Fogfest and chair of the Campobello Island Tourism Board, to enlighten us on how Fogfest came to be and how it has evolved over the years. 

After the closing of the Anchorage Campground in 2012, Theresa, alongside another group of women and Steve Marion, decided to create something new and meaningful, both for the island and for all of the individuals who were at risk of losing their jobs. Inspired by the natural fog that occurs throughout the area, these individuals decided to call this event Fogfest. This will be the 9th consecutive Fog Fest on Campobello Island. 

Over the course of 3 days, Fogfest invites Charlotte County musicians and artists to share their talent and New Brunswick heritage with the locals and tourists passing through. The opening ceremonies take place on July 28th, New Brunswick Day, and continue throughout the long weekend. The event itself is free of charge and encourages individuals to support local artists and embrace the maritime spirit, which can be seen in activities such as campfires or songs where individuals play anything from the spoons to a guitar or tambourine. 

2020’s Fogfest had proven itself to be a challenge as COVID-19 restrictions made it difficult to gather in this spirit, but the Fog Fest board had not given up on the significance of Fogfest and the artists who have been struggling. “In light of everything else that’s going on, here are these artists that are struggling,” says Theresa, “and if we were going to make a difference it was our time to either stand up and be heard or sit down and shut up, and we decided to stand up”. Persisting through what could only be seen as the “new normal”, the Fog Fest team organized a socially distanced festival where individuals could drive their vehicles into the park and enjoy the festival safely and mask-free. 

Last year’s Fogfest featured musicians such as Shawn Richard, Nick Gay and Cassidy Cook, and artists such as Joyce Morrell, a traditional landscape artist. “We want people to love it the same way we do,” explains Theresa on the topic of maritime spirit, “we need to make sure these artists continue to play”. Cassidy Cook shares this sentiment in both her spoken dialogue and singing, stating that “there weren't necessarily a lot of resources to support that, it’s just the reality of where we live.” It did not help either that Campobello’s unique placement between Canada and the United States caused further complications with booking venues and shows where these artists would perform. This cross-border relationship was not just essential for artists, but both communities as a whole when it came to expressing local heritage and shared histories. “It was a place where they could escape all that craziness,” says Taunya Russell on behalf of the Roosevelt Park, “anything to do with politics, the city, the limelight.”

Despite these challenges, the Campobello residents persisted and protected the things that brought us together. Not only did Fogfest persist through a time when most things felt restricted, but it reminded Charlotte County about the essence of what it meant to be a community.