Despite the global pandemic that has turned the world and our little festival upside down, we’re trying our best at Indian River Festival to bring a little bit of normalcy to our summer. And what’s more quintessentially summer than a road trip?
Throughout July and August, our summer students Kelsey, Sarah, and William will hit the road each week to visit some of our wonderful partners and sponsors across PEI—and, of course, take in the sights of our beautiful Island on the way. Last week, our trusty trio visited three of IRF’s partner businesses in the Borden Area: Victoria Playhouse, Handpie Company and Confederation Bridge.
First stop: Victoria Playhouse. A fellow performance venue, Victoria Playhouse is nestled in the picturesque community of Victoria by the Sea. It may be little, but Victoria Playhouse is mighty—it’s PEI’s longest running small theatre, and has even been called “A Hidden Gem!” by the New York Times. And what it lacks in size, it makes up for in splendor—just look at this gorgeous spot!
After taking in the sights in Victoria, we headed due west towards that most iconic PEI landmark: the Confederation Bridge. The Bridge is so important to us at IRF: not only because it connects PEI to the mainland (and has been reconnecting loved ones since the opening of the Atlantic Bubble), but because they are our long-time presenting sponsor and a huge supporter of the Festival over the years. Plus, it beats taking a rowboat, as our trio found out.
All these photo-ops can really make you build up an appetite. Luckily, the final stop on the IRF road trip was the one and only Handpie Company. First of all: if you’ve never had a hand pie before, you are truly missing out. Just look at that flaky crust! Second, we love that the Handpie Company uses local PEI ingredients—it’s like a taste of home in every bite (and there will be many, many bites).
As much as we truly love a good road trip, these outings aren’t just for cute pics. We hope that by visiting different businesses and organizations across PEI, we’ll be able to showcase all the amazing sights, sounds, and tastes of our little Island that you can experience yourself. Although we’re still bummed that there will be no Festival this year, at least its cancellation has given us some time to explore our own backyard, as it were—and to encourage all of you to get out and support local as well!
Make sure to follow us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) if you want to follow along as Kelsey, Sarah, and William make pit stops all over the Island this summer.
Written by: Dani MacDonald
Sirens’ IRF Mixtape