Madi Tiffin dressed the part for her first visit to the Boots and Hearts Music Festival.
Clad in cowgirl boots and a denim dress, the eight-year-old Orillia girl was soaking up the country atmosphere.
She had one thing in mind when she entered the gates Friday at Burl’s Creek Event Grounds.
“The concerts,” she said, excitedly.
Accompanying Tiffin were Tom Beitz and Emma Thompson. They, too, were looking forward to the music this weekend, particularly Florida Georgia Line, which headlined Friday, and Thomas Rhett, who will close out the festival Sunday night.
“Good times, good music, good food,” said Beitz.
“I love the atmosphere,” added Thompson, who has been attending the six-year-old festival for five years.
The festival vibe is one of the reasons Jennifer Newman and Kenny Berdan headed to Burl’s Creek from Alliston.
“It’s a nice atmosphere,” said Newman. “It’s a lot of fun and the people are great.”
They felt they were getting their money’s worth, too.
“It can cost as much to go to Budweiser Stage (in Toronto) and see one act as it does to see 30 here,” added Berdan.
While he and Newman were looking forward to seeing Saturday’s headliner, Alan Jackson, who enjoyed most of his popularity and commercial success in the 1990s, a group of friends made the trip from Toronto to see some of the musicians who are in, or almost in, their prime, like Russell Dickerson and Florida Georgia Line.
“They’re super-hyped and they put on a great performance,” said Colin Bettings.
But, like many in attendance, Bettings was there for the overall experience.
“Country music is the best,” he said. “It’s just a big ol’ party.”
