After an exciting three days at the festival, the final day of Boots and Hearts 2024 was here. While some festival-goers had come and gone each day, other extra-committed fans had braved an entire four days of camping, singing and partying. It was no question that everyone was exhausted, including staff members and volunteers, but it didn’t change the fact that Sunday’s lineup was sure to be stellar, and no one wanted to miss it!
The entertainment area’s festivities kicked off earlier than usual, with Innisfil’s own Brian John Harwood taking the SiriusXM Front Porch Stage just before 2pm. After his fun-filled set, Elmvale-born Dayna Reid followed up with an energetic performance of her own. It was truly a day of celebrating (very) local talent!
Meanwhile, Alexandra Kay prepared to start off the list of Sunday’s main stage performers. The bubbly, energetic country singer performed a variety of original singles including “Tall Boy” and “She Stayed,” while sharing sweet moments with fans in the audience as she signed poster boards and pointed out individuals who were wearing her own t-shirts.
As the afternoon progressed, Dillon James and Alana Springstreen performed on the Front Porch Stage, Emerson Drive visited the SiriusXM Barn in the VIP area and Madeline Merlo sang her heart out on the main stage. Madeline wore a beautiful bright pink outfit that she later made a comparison with to her song, “Motel Flamingo.” Throughout her set, the artist sang original hits including “Dear Me,” “Girl Where He Grew Up,” and “Tim + Faith.” She also performed her new single, “Broken Heart Thing,” a collaboration with Dustin Lynch that was just released two days prior (August 9).
At 5pm, the two finalists in the annual Emerging Artist Showcase presented by Coors Original, Blue Ridge Band and Sarah Vanderzon, took to the main stage for their head-to-head competition. Both performances were incredible but in the end, the judges chose Sarah Vandezon as the winner. The Montreal-based singer/songwriter will now have the opportunity to release a single with Universal Music Canada, perform during the Kick-Off Party at Boots and Hearts 2025 and receive management sessions from RLive. Congratulations to Sarah and a job well done to the seven other artists who competed in the showcase!
Between the two contest performances and the announcement of the showcase winner, Nate Smith took the stage for his stellar set. Singing a variety of popular original songs including “Wish I Never Felt” and “If I Could Stop Loving You,” Nate had quite a few surprises up his sleeve. During his performance of “Whisky On You,” Nate came out in front of the barricade surrounding the stage and sang with fans. He told the audience that he knew he wasn’t supposed to do this, but he still went along with his plan to immerse himself with his fans.
Nate had also announced earlier in the day that he was bringing out a surprise guest on stage during his performance. Many festival goers speculated that it would be Avril Lavigne, since they just released a version of Nate’s single, “Bulletproof,” together, and those fans would have been right. Nate momentarily disappeared back stage before he began singing “Bulletproof,” and not long after did Avril appear on the stage. The duo had the audience ecstatic and Nate’s entire set was surely a standout for the entire festival.
While Emerson Drive wrapped up their evening set on the Front Porch Stage, and Madeline Merlo made an appearance in the SiriusXM Barn, fans eagerly waited at the main stage for the final two performances of the festival: Carly Pearce and Jason Aldean. Carly’s performance was incredible and had fans singing along for her entire hour. She is a strong advocate for women in the country music industry, so naturally many of her songs are directed towards female empowerment and learning how to be strong in your own skin. Carly sang a few songs from her latest album, Hummingbird, including “truck on fire” and “we don’t fight anymore,” a song she collaborated on with Chris Stapleton. She also sang many familiar favourites such as “country music made me do it,” “What He Didn’t Do” and “Never Wanted To Be That Girl,” which she also collaborated on with another artist, Ashley McBryde.
After Carly’s beautiful set, it was time for the festival’s grand finale. Jason Aldean took the main stage by storm and performed 18 original songs, giving the audience the feel of a rock concert with a country twist. Fans heard performances of “Dirt Road Anthem,” “Try That In A Small Town,” “Big Green Tractor,” and “Hicktown.” Complete with impressive guitar riffs and electric background graphics, every single audience member was captivated, dancing, screaming and living their best Boots life. The energy levels were through the roof (or sky in this case) and it was safe to say that Boots and Hearts 2024 went out with a bang!
As another year of Boots and Hearts comes to a close, fans are already anticipating who will be on the lineup for next year’s festival. As we wait, I’m sure the countless memories of this past weekend will be replaying in every festival-goer’s head!
