Applegrove Community Agency’s East End Music Festival set to celebrate local artists, musicians – Beach Metro Community News

Shakura S’Aida is among the artists performing at this Saturday’s East End Music Festival. Photo: Shakura S’Aida website.

By MATTHEW STEPHENS

The Applegrove Community Agency will host the East End Music Fest, a celebration of talented local artists and musicians, on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Located at the East End Food Hub, 1470 Gerrard St. E., the festival will include food and drink, art displays, silent auctions, and live music from established local musicians such as Jerry Leger & The Situation, Shakura S’Aida, The Uplifters, and Chris Hale & Ozzy Hall.

The festival starts at 7 p.m.

From blues and soul to indie rock, those attending can expect a wide range of diverse music and artwork.

Musician Jerry Leger has lived in the East End his entire life. For him, having an opportunity to celebrate local artists is what makes this music festival so important within the community.

“Growing up, there didn’t seem to be a lot of opportunities for playing music in the East End,” said Leger. “I had to get creative. And now, having an event like this right in the neighbourhood, it means a lot.”

The local fundraiser will bring organizations, business owners, artists, and community members together to support Applegrove’s services. The festival is for those 19 years of age and older. Tickets are $45, and can be purchased by going to

Between Program Assistant Josh Granger, Executive Director Susanne Burkhardt, and their work committee, the concept for a music-themed fundraiser was determined by their familiarity with the East End music scene, and that they have the perfect venue to host the event.

“We thought we have this space. We want to do something that’s community focused. We want to celebrate the East End, and it just kind of came together,” said Burkhardt.

The music festival will transform the inside of the historic Glen Rhodes Church building into a setting for live music and community engagement.

For 45 years, the Applegrove Community Complex has served the East Toronto through a variety of programs and services, meetings and events, support action on local issues, and volunteer and employment opportunities for those in need.

As a local resident who grew up in the area, and now works with Applegrove, Granger sees his work as a meaningful way to give back to the community that raised him.

“I’ve been a part of Applegrove my whole life, I grew up in the East End and I’ve benefitted from the programming and the mentorship. And for me, it’s paying it forward,” said Granger.

Partnering with the East End Food Hub, Applegrove has expanded its support to include food accessibility programs, as well as working in collaboration with Toronto Community Housing and Context Development Toronto to support local community housing revitalization projects such as the Don Summerville community.

The organization’s special programs have supported thousands of people and provided local families with $47,775 in subsidies for after-school and camp programs within the last two years.

Applegrove strives to continue providing accessible and affordable programs for the community – and hopes to establish the East End Music Fest as an annual fundraising event.

For Burkhardt, sponsoring the festival is a critical part of the organization’s work to serve the community and highlight the area’s many talented artists and musicians.

“As we emerged out of the pandemic, we were looking at what kind of event we could do that really reflects the East End and the community that’s here because it’s a big part of who we are and the work that we do,” said Burkhardt.

“There’s actually a remarkable number of musicians and artists in this part of town, so we’d like to see it become an annual event.”

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