Railway City Music & Arts Festival 2025

Interview with the lead organizer of the Railway City Music and Arts Festival.

​The Railway City Music and Arts Festival has its roots in the Iron Horse Festival, which began in 1994 as a way to bring energy to downtown St. Thomas. Over the years, the festival has evolved in response to community feedback, growing into a new format that celebrates local music, creativity, and culture.

Origins of the Railway City Music & Arts Festival

Like many community events, the Iron Horse Festival paused operations in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As events began to return in 2021, the board took the opportunity to reimagine the festival’s future by rebranding it as the Railway City Music and Arts Festival to reflect its mission of showcasing local talent. The move to Pinafore Park provided a permanent home in a scenic and accessible setting, giving the festival a fresh start.

Evolution and Growth 

The first post-COVID year of the Railway City Music and Arts Festival was held as a one-day event as a chance to test the waters under lingering restrictions. It was a great success! In 2022 (when I first became involved), we expanded to a three-day event that was extremely well received, including a broader range of musical genres.

2023 brought big changes, including a full transition of the board of directors. With a steep learning curve and limited time, we considered pausing to regroup. We ultimately knew that if we skipped a year, the momentum might be lost. Instead, we moved ahead with a scaled-back one-day version to keep the festival alive. It was incredibly well attended, and the response from audiences and musicians was so strong that in 2024, the festival grew again into a four-day celebration to accommodate performer interest.

Now, we’re planning our biggest event yet for 2025! We’ll feature two full musical lineups on two stages, showcasing the incredible talent we have right here in our own backyard. With more than 34+ performers on each stage across the four days, plus over 70 exhibitors, artists, artisans, crafters, and food vendors, it’s shaping up to be a true celebration of local creativity and community spirit.
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📅 Aug 14-17 2025
📍 Location: 95 Elm Street (Pinafore Park)
🌐 railwaycitymusicandartsfestival.ca

Mission and Community impact

One of the first steps the current board took was to define a unifying vision for the festival: to provide a free, family-friendly event that brings our community together in celebration of local artists across all disciplines.

Our mission is to support emerging and established artists from across Southwestern Ontario by giving them a platform to share their work, connect with audiences, and build meaningful relationships within the broader arts community.

This renewed focus has helped shape what the festival is today. Not just a continuation of the past, but a vibrant and inclusive event with a clear purpose and a strong sense of identity.

The Artist and vendor selection process

This year, we received nearly 140 applications from bands and musicians eager to perform on the main stage (a sign of the incredible talent in our region)! Narrowing that list down to the 30-35 acts we can accommodate over four days is never easy, but it’s also a wonderful challenge to have.

Our selection process considers various factors: genre, availability, budget (of course), plus our commitment to supporting local talent. We prioritize artists from Southwestern Ontario, especially those emerging from St. Thomas and surrounding area who may not have access to larger audiences. While we occasionally welcome performers from outside the region, including the GTA, our focus remains on showcasing the incredible music scene at home.

When it comes to artists and vendors, we have plenty of space to offer thanks to our full-park rental. Any artist or artisan is welcome to apply to be part of the festival. While the market isn’t strictly curated, we do aim to keep a balanced and diverse mix of offerings to ensure that each vendor has a chance to connect with festivalgoers.

Creating the Festival Experience

Joy. Pride. Excitement. For music lovers, the thrill of discovering a new artist is one of the best feelings. We hope people will come to the festival and find their new favourite band. We want our community to be aware of, and proud of, the immense talent that exists everywhere - not just in the big "music cities" like LA, New York, or Toronto.

Ultimately (and this is why I became involved), I want our community, and visitors, to experience the joy of connecting with others in real life who share similar interests, whether that's fine arts, live music, discovering new foods, or exploring local crafts. We lost so much personal connection during COVID. Social isolation became the new normal, and rebuilding those real-life connections is a journey we’re still on.

What’s New in 2025?!?

We’ve expanded our offerings for kids this year, with three full days (Friday to Sunday) of children’s arts and crafts activities led by an accredited teacher. We're also excited to welcome Behind The Bit Equestrian Centre & Horse Rescue, who will be offering pony rides in the park!

And while I’ve occasionally been called a bit of a music snob, we made a real effort this year to diversify the lineup with genres you don’t often see at small-town festivals. For example, on Thursday night (August 14), we’re kicking things off with four local DJs hosting an EDM/Dance party - something totally new for our stage!

Community Involvement

We actively seek feedback from our festival stakeholders, including musicians, artists, vendors, sponsors, and more. This festival exists to support and showcase the work of artists and musicians, so we truly value input from those communities and would love to see even more involvement moving forward.

Community partners, like local service clubs, also play a vital role in making the festival possible, helping to fund a significant portion of our operating costs. Their support is essential, and deeply appreciated!

Why Pinafore park?

Pinafore Park does present some challenges when it comes to access control and infrastructure but it’s absolutely worth it. This park is truly St. Thomas’ crown jewel and best-kept secret!

The trees, the open grassy fields, the playground, the bandshell, the pavilions, the meandering pathways - when everything comes together, the music is playing, the artisans are creating, and the air is filled with the scent of food from a dozen vendors… the vibe is like nothing else. It’s peace. It’s contentment. It’s hope. It feels like everything good in life has gathered in one place to celebrate you. It’s intoxicating.

You just don’t get that feeling in an empty field or a parking lot.

What are your hopes for the future of the festival?

Right now, we’re working to develop a sustainable business model that reduces our reliance on donations and sponsorships. While these will always be an important part of our support, we believe the festival should stand on its own financially.

Our goal is to consistently generate a profit each year, which would allow us to establish a foundation or trust dedicated to supporting music and the arts in local schools and within our community of artists.

As the festival continues to evolve to meet the needs of the community, my hope remains that the heart of the festival, the music​, will continue to thrive for many years to come.

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Author

CHARLOTTE BARNES
Born and raised in St. Thomas, Charlotte is having fun celebrating St. Thomas as the 2025 Railway City Tourism Assistant. Pursuing Biological Science at the University of Guelph, Charlotte has a deep appreciation for local small businesses and the agricultural community. Charlotte hopes to inspire those to seek and experience the wonders of St. Thomas.