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‘We’re big music lovers’: Great Village Arts preparing for a show-filled summer
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TRURO, N.S. — It would come as a surprise to some that a community with a population of approximately 500 or so has such a thriving arts scene.
Along with being home to historical sites and antique collectors, Great Village Arts has turned the community into a hub for music lovers throughout Colchester County.
Entertainment co-ordinator Mike Pinto said this all spawned from his dad (Joe Pinto), who owns the former St. James United Church that they operate out of.
“We’re big music lovers, and Dad has always had some kind of project,” said Pinto.
Pinto said his father has been the long-time property owner of 535 Prince Street in Truro, where the Fair Trade Cafe had once been.
“Anytime a business moves out, he’s moving a temporary coffee shop in there and running it himself, just because he loves his live music on Friday nights. He wants to chill there, have a drink and a nice meal, and enjoy a good show.
“This (the church) was being off-loaded, and Dad said this was a great opportunity to get some live music going and combine it with the restaurant downstairs (Angel’s Diner on the Corner).
“He gets his dinner and a show, then he gets to watch his son run around and do all the work,” joked Pinto.
Great Village Arts have been operating out of the former church since 2021. When asked about the venue’s location, Pinto said it works as a gathering point for music lovers from Colchester and Cumberland.
“People out this way – Bass River, Londonderry, all the way to Amherst, sometimes – it’s very hard to get to a show. They have to come to Truro, if they’re lucky. Halifax is usually the next best stop.
“We get a lot of these artists to come here because it’s a nice in-between. It’s a central point for all those communities to come together.”
A musician himself, Pinto said his expertise ties in with his job of lining up acts. This summer is especially fruitful, with many local and national performers taking the stage.
Summer lineup
Their summer concert season begins on June 3 with a performance by 13-time East Coast Music Award winner J.P. Cormier, known for his bluegrass and folk tunes. Tickets for Cormier’s show are going for $35 each.
“He’s one of the first few artists that we had featured here,” said Pinto.
Following Cormier on June 10 is a Reggae Jam Down featuring bands Andru Branch, Halfway Tree, and DJ Webber Don. Tickets can be purchased for $25.
Perhaps the most anticipated event in terms of local artists would be Jackie Putnam’s album release show for her new record, The Phoenix, which is set for June 17. Tickets are $25.
“I enjoy entertaining adults, children, seniors, men and women,” said Putnam. “They all love my style, the gogo boots and the dresses I wear. I love to entertain, and it’s much more fun in a concert setting.”
Award-winning country musician Aaron Halliday will be coming to Great Village on June 24 to perform his Alan Jackson and Friends cover set. Tickets for that show are set at $25.
“When we do the cover acts, they often tend to pay the bills, so to speak,” explained Pinto. “They’re bringing in the guaranteed numbers. In any music community, it’s the cover bands that people feel comfortable spending their money on.
“But with the support of the restaurant downstairs, there’s more room in the budget to do some smaller acts, take off a little bit of the risk, and give the up-and-comers a little bit of a boost.”
Pinto also has film showings in mind for the space, along with a host of other musical and theatrical performances.
“We’re just trying to make use of this old beauty,” he said, referring to the church.
For more information on Great Village Arts, or to purchase tickets, visit their website at greatvillagearts.ca/events.php.
