On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, students from across Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board gathered at The Core Centre in downtown Belleville for the 10th annual BandFest.
Bringing together diverse school communities from Bancroft to Picton, the event celebrated the musical talent of our local youth. Seven schools showcased their wind instrument programs, and the audience was treated to a special feature presentation by Stirling Public School's Orff Band.
Participating schools taking the main stage included:
- Bayside Public School
- Easthill Elementary School
- Susanna Moodie Elementary School
- Prince Charles Public School
- Harmony Public School
- Prince Edward Collegiate Institute
- Tyendinaga Public School
- Stirling Public School
Beyond performing, students had the invaluable opportunity to learn directly from accomplished professional musicians. Throughout the day, students participated in instrument sectionals and enjoyed specialized concerts in percussion, woodwinds and brass.
We are grateful to our talented adjudicators—Naomi Garrett, Dan Douglas and Troy Thrower—as well as our dedicated sectional leaders and performers: Kyle Heide, Greg Hendrickson, Karen Archer, Robin Dupré, Zebulun Barnow and Brian Coughlan.
Thank You to Our Organizers and Sponsors
This event would not be possible without the generous support of our community partners and tireless volunteers.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to our key sponsors, the Quinte Symphony and the Canadian Federation of Musicians, Local 518 (with funding provided by the Musicians Performance Trust Fund). These key sponsorships allowed us to use the beautiful facility and offer professional workshops for our students. We also extend our gratitude to Quinte Symphony President Nancy Lewis and all the Quinte Symphony volunteers who gave their time to ensure the day ran smoothly.
We would also like to send a special thank you to:
- Tim Ryan from Long & McQuade for recording the day's performances, donating prizes, and loaning a drum set and bass amp for the event.
- Yamaha and the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (Hastings Prince Edward Teacher Local) for their crucial support.
- Trevor and Heather Hoskins, our gracious hosts at The Core Centre.
- The BandFest Organizing Committee—Adrienne Deveau, Amy Claxton, Dan Douglas, Nancy Lewis, Troy Thrower, and Jennifer Curtis—for their hard work in bringing this 10th-anniversary celebration to life.
Congratulations to all the young musicians who demonstrated the courage and dedication to share their talents on stage.