Saskatchewan’s stage: Discover the Manitou Beach Busking Festival

How do you put a dollar value on joy?

At Manitou Beach, for one weekend each summer, that question drifts through the air alongside the sounds of guitar chords, laughter and juggling balls whooshing through the air. It’s the soundtrack of the Manitou Beach Busking Festival — a weekend where music and movement spill into the streets, and everyone finds their rhythm.

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Busking is an ancient art form, alive and well at the Manitou Beach Busking Festival, where the crowd’s appreciation is measured in smiles, cheers and coins tossed in a hat. (Manitou Beach Busking Festival/Facebook)

Listen to the story on Behind the Headlines:

What exactly is busking?

Long before music venues or ticket apps, there was busking — a centuries-old tradition of street performance.

From medieval minstrels to subway saxophonists, buskers have long transformed everyday spaces into stages, offering art for whatever change the crowd can spare.

Festival secretary and luthier David Freeman believes that tradition is alive and well in Manitou Beach.

“You unpack your guitar or your whatever you do on the street corner and put out a hat and play or perform, and people drop money in your hat,” he explained. “If you’re good, you get more.”

David Freeman has built guitars and community in equal measure. If a busker’s performance moves you, he said it’s polite to drop a few dollars into their hat. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

But in recent years, Freeman has noticed something shifting — not in the spirit of the performance, but in the pockets of the audience.

“Last year there were some buskers that had the little QR codes, because nobody’s carrying cash anymore,” he noted.

But while the tools of the trade may have changed, Freeman emphasized that the essence of busking remains the same.

“It’s about value. If it sounds good to you, pay for it, because everybody’s got to eat.”

With 42 acts performing across 10 lakeside stages, the Manitou Beach Busking Festival fills every corner of the village with wonder. (Manitou Beach Busking Festival/Facebook)

A festival born from connection

Sarah McKen is one of only about 250 people who call Manitou home all year long.

“I think if I used one word, it would be vibrant,” she said with a bright smile when asked to describe the small resort village.

She was a key player in bringing the Manitou Beach Busking Festival to life five years ago, during a time when connections felt more fragile than ever.

“Well, (in) 2021 we were in the middle of COVID. And here at Manitou Beach, of course, we have Danceland, but dancing was not being allowed,” she recalled.

“So we brought the music to the community in wide open spaces. Had people gathering outside, and it worked really well.”

Sarah McKen helped start the festival in a year when gathering felt impossible. Now, she said it’s hard to imagine a summer without it. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

It started with music, but the festival has grown into something even richer than that. It’s an event that celebrates art in all forms.

“We have a comedian booked. We’ve had magicians come out, circus flow arts, singers, songwriters, musicians on guitars, drummer performances…” McKen said. “So all sorts of different aspects being engaged. It’s about sharing that performance creativity with people.”

This weekend, music, magic and movement spill out into the streets, transforming Manitou Beach into a playground of creativity and connection — a place where young and old share stories, songs and simple moments of joy. (Manitou Beach Busking Festival/Facebook)

From audience to artist

This year, the Manitou Beach Busking Festival is doing something new, inviting visitors not just to watch, but to step into the creative spotlight themselves.

Alongside performances, the festival now offers workshops designed to spark creativity and build confidence, with no experience required. Each workshop is $50 per person, and $30 per registered performer.

Bruce Rawlings, a longtime music teacher and songwriter, will lead a songwriting workshop that celebrates music as a form of personal expression and connection.

“There’s so many ways to be involved with music, but songwriting is one of my favourites,” he said.

“I’ve written songs since I was 15 years old, or maybe younger, and it’s just a great way to express yourself — to express how you’re feeling, to express your views, to just kind of interact and relate with the world around you and people around you.”

Songwriting, according to Bruce Rawlings, isn’t about talent. It’s about paying attention to what you want to say. He’ll guide a two-part workshop — Friday afternoon and Saturday morning — helping others find the courage to express themselves through song. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Rawlings says his main goal is to help people try out the art for, regardless of their background or skill level.

“You don’t really know how it’s going to go, because you don’t know who’s coming… But it doesn’t really matter, because I don’t see music as a sport. It’s not a competition,” he said.

At the heart of the Manitou Beach Busking Festival is the idea that art belongs to everyone. Whether you’re strumming a guitar, spinning poi, or simply soaking in the sounds, this weekend is a reminder that joy can’t be priced — but it can be shared. (Manitou Beach Busking Festival/Facebook)

Movement lovers will find their place in Andrea Murphy’s Circus Flow Arts workshop, a playful introduction to juggling, hooping and poi spinning for all ages.

Murphy, who said she once felt shy and hesitant on the dance floor, credited the playful movements with helping her discover confidence and ease in her own body. She said her hope is to pass that gift along to participants of all ages.

“Of course, children are very excited to try, and a lot of them will stick around to learn. And I’ve had 80-year-olds throwing and catching balls and juggling… I’ll never forget one of our local elders, Marie, juggling. And in a class, she came, and she was throw, catch, throw, catch. And the look on her face — like again, like a child — it’s adorable.”

Through the workshops, the festival creates more than an audience — it builds a community.

Andrea Murphy said she used to avoid the dance floor. Now, she helps others feel at home in their own rhythm — hoops, juggling balls, poi and all. She’ll lead a Circus Flow Arts workshop on Saturday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m., inviting all ages to move, play, and explore. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

More than just a festival

At its heart, the Manitou Beach Busking Festival is about presence. In a world increasingly curated, scheduled and streamed, this weekend invites something different: connection.

Here, a child might learn to juggle beside a retiree rediscovering rhythm. A seasoned musician might trade verses with someone writing their very first song. Someone walking by might pause — just for a minute — and really listen.

So, how do you put a dollar value on joy? At Manitou Beach, it’s clear: joy is priceless.

But if something makes you smile, sway or stay a little longer, don’t forget to toss a few bucks in the hat.

From guitar strings to juggling balls, the Manitou Beach Busking Festival turns this lakeside village into a stage where creativity flows freely — inviting visitors not just to watch, but to join in, discover new talents, and find their own rhythm. (Manitou Beach Busking Festival/Facebook)

If you go:

• Dates: June 26–28, 2025

• Where: 10 lakefront venues throughout Manitou Beach

• What to Expect: 42 musical and performance acts, daily shows, nightly jams and three community workshops

• Workshops (Register early):

  • Songwriting with Bruce Rawlings

  • Slide Guitar with Tim Williams

  • Circus Flow Arts with Andrea Murphy

Visitors are reminded to bring cash for the buskers, or scan a QR code if they’ve got one.