Wake the Giant
Festival Brings Thunder Bay’s Biggest Act To Date
By Abigail Heron
Are you ready to rock that body at this year's much anticipated Wake the Giant festival? Finally, the wait is over—Marina Park will once again host thousands attending Thunder Bay’s biggest show of the year, and this time, maybe even its biggest show to date. It's hard to believe this is already Wake the Giant’s sixth annual edition, but what’s even more mindblowing is the lineup that’s in store for this September 6: Black Eyed Peas, Prozzäk, Neon Dreams, and Crystal Shawanda are just a few of the acts hitting the stage.
“Black Eyed Peas is arguably the biggest act to ever come to Thunder Bay,” says Sean Spenrath, one of the event’s organizers. “They’ve won like six Grammys; they played the Super Bowl halftime show; they’re massive. To give Thunder Bay that experience, knowing not a lot of people can afford to go to Minneapolis or fly to Toronto for those mega shows, that’s a really cool thing.” The excitement is shared by people of all ages, but kids 11 and under get added bonus of free admission and a dedicated Kids Zone.
Of course Wake the Giant is primarily known for its yearly extravagant festival, including art installations, an Indigenous craft market, and lots of local food vendors in addition to the music, but that is really only one facet of the organization. Every September, teens from remote communities pack up their lives and move to Thunder Bay without their families to attend Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School. All money raised from the festival funds Wake the Giant in its work to ease the transition into the city for these young people through orientation events and workshops.
“I thought it was such a cool and great initiative,” says James Bryan, member of Prozzäk. The band was so touched by Wake the Giant’s mandate that Prozzäk is coming out of retirement to play their first post-pandemic show here in Thunder Bay. “Performing is always such a deep and meaningful way to connect with people, but beyond just being a fun festival, [Wake the Giant] is a way to welcome and create more inclusivity for Indigenous youth and that is definitely something we [want to] get behind,” he says.
Visit wakethegiant.ca for more information or to score some tickets.