Forty Years on the Island: The Blackman Family

In 1987, Hillside Festival moved to its beautiful home at Guelph Lake Island and grew into a three-day festival with multiple stages. Forty years later, we’re still gathering each July to fill the island with music, song, and community. To celebrate this milestone, we’ll be sharing a series of stories from multi-generational families who have made Hillside part of their lives  — and we’d love to hear yours too.

Three Generations, One Festival: The Blackman Family’s Hillside Story

Brittney Blackman’s connection to Hillside starts well before her time, at the very first Hillside. 

July 14, 1984, at Riverside Park in Guelph. Admission was free with an optional donation, and the program is distributed on a single, photocopied sheet. Her Father, Murray Blackman, contributes to the 11-hour music celebration with a set for the children’s area. Since that first day, he has returned year after year for 42 years. 

Not too long after that first Hillside, the Blackman family grew, and Brittney was along for the festival ride as an infant. 

Growing Up on the Island

Brittney recalls her earliest Hillside memories as dreamlike. She remembers wandering around the early days of the Sun Stage, spotting tiny frogs in the grass, and gently carrying them over to the stage to show Valdy as they played. She remembers lying on a blanket in the grass, falling asleep to the steady rhythm of drum circles. A sound that became the soundtrack to her summers as she grew up with the festival.

By the time she was 14, Brittney had stepped into her own role, volunteering with Hillside wherever she could. From washing dishes to parking crew, to leading and organizing volunteer crews. “It showed me what it looks like when people give their time and energy simply to be part of something bigger,” she reflects. “There’s no expectation, just a shared commitment to creating something meaningful.” 

That mindset shaped her values, growing up from a deep respect for community to a strong connection to environmental responsibility. The festival’s “leave no trace” philosophy became something she carried into everyday life. 

The commitment to the festival is a way of life for the Blackman family. Just two years ago, her father attended the festival only weeks after ankle replacement surgery, still to be found strumming his guitar around the campfire.

A Full-Circle Moment

In 2020, Brittney welcomed her first child, and the following year, her daughter walked the bridge to her very first Hillside. The family tradition was carried on for another generation. In 2023, Brittney attended while seven months pregnant. By 2025, Hillside will have become a true family experience with her husband volunteering, Brittney a board member and their two children in tow. 

An Escape to Discover and Belong

In a world that feels increasingly harder to escape digital overwhelm, Hillside is a rare experience. 

“It forces you to be present, to actually experience something in real life,” she explains. “You’re not just watching, you’re part of it. It’s the kind of place where all your senses are engaged, music carrying through the trees, the smell of food vendors, the energy of the crowd, and the discovery of something new around every corner. You can donate to things, support from a distance, but this is different,” she says. “You’re immersed in it. It feels like stepping into another world.”

A world that reflects what she hopes to see more of every day. Helping hands, shared spaces, kind, inclusive people working together to create something special. 

What started as the first Hillside Festival on a small stage has grown into a multi-generational tradition that has stayed true to its values for 42 years.

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Share Your Hillside Story

For over four decades, Hillside has been shaped by the people who return year after year – families, friends, volunteers, artists, and music lovers who have made Hillside part of their story.

Now we want to hear yours.

To celebration the launch of our #MyHillsideStory community campaign, we’re giving on lucky winner 2 weekend passes to Hillside Festival!

Entering is easy – just follow the steps on your preferred platform:

Whether it’s your first festival memory or a tradition decades in the making, we can’t wait to celebrate the stories that make Hillside feel like home.