The Burlington Downtown Business Association is celebrating 40 years of memories!

From November 15 – December 15th, 2020 we invited all residents and business owners to join us for a walk down memory lane for a chance to make even more memories with one of 3 grand-prize overnight visits to our beautiful downtown core. View full contest here.

It’s difficult to pick just a single favourite memory of downtown Burlington, but one definitely stands out, being one of the many times I have enjoyed the Sound of Music festival, which I tout as “the crown jewel” of Burlington to family and friends. This iconic festival, free to attendees, features world-class talent, of mostly local Canadian musicians and artists. I always love its lakeside location, the buzz and energy it brings to the downtown core, and diversity of talent that performs.

As a Burlington resident, it’s my favourite time of the year in the city. I first attended Sound of Music in 2006, when I was still a university student in Guelph, before I moved to Burlington permanently in 2010. I made the trek down with friends to catch my favourite band – jacksoul. Haydain Neale, the dynamic frontman from Hamilton of this Juno-winning soul and R&B band, sadly passed away in 2009, so I am especially grateful I saw this band perform their magic in action, in a perfect setting by Lake Ontario (pre-downtown Pier!) to a captivated crowd. I was a massive fan of the band. I made a sign for them, with a nod to their upcoming album “mySOUL.” I met Haydain side stage after the show, got him to sign my homemade poster, and even dug through my archival digital camera footage to find some pictures from this memorable event. My favourite one is me fangirling in the front row, and the talented backup singer noticing and pointing at this sign. Since I moved to Burlington ten years ago, I have created many more incredible memories, but this one stands out as one of a kind. I still happily attend Sound of Music each year, and look forward to its safe return