What is the Cabot Trail Acoustic Music Festival?

The 14th Cabot Trail Acoustic Music Festival returns to Cabot Shores on October 14th for Thanksgiving. The Cabot Trail Acoustic Festival is a gathering of folks, local and international, who love to play music together or simply love music. It is a 'players' festival' meaning that musicians, pros and amateurs, get together to:

Engage in trading songs around a circle. It's a "let's play this traditional Celtic song in A#" with a bunch of fiddlers and a piano player chording along with the Steinway Spinnet on the Cabot Shores indoor Stage
Jamming some blues, country or local singer/song writer tunes on the "Woodstack" outdoor stage, created during the social distancing days of Covid when the Festival was held as was the Cabot Trail Acoustic Festival Concert Series (held in the summers every Thursday night currently, with Ella Dubinsky and Friends, as well as Saturday night with a roster of local and travelling musicians).
And concerts with amazing Cape Breton, mainland Nova Scotia, and international musicians!

This year the Festival is expanding to include local food prepared in the Cabot Shores Bistro and nearby crafts artisans.

A Foodie Event Supplied by the Cabot Shores Bistro

The fall season isn't complete without a Fall Garden Harvest and that is happening at the same time as the Cabot Trail Acoustic Music Festival! The harvest of food from the Cabot Shores' gardens, apples from the apple orchard and wild blueberries becomes a source for great local food. And the local fisherman will supply freshly caught halibut and local mussels from St. Ann's Bay.

The festival starts with a guided walk through the nature sanctuary and on to the beach. We will have a feast buffet from 5:30PM to 7:30PM with the fall menu of turkey and beans, salads from the garden, homemade bread, and much more; prepared by Chefs Ron MacNeil and Ajani Hewage.

After the feast, be prepared to be wowed by Ella Dubinsky and friends, a group of local musical artists from our own Cape Breton Island! Music will begin at 7:30PM and go into the night.

Craft Display by Local Artisans

With a short distance of Cabot Shores are artisans offering: