Welcome to Collingwood Country Fest!
Sat, Jul 20, 2024 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Purchase Tickets: CLICK HERE
Join us for a day filled with great music, delicious food, and ice-cold brews at The Collingwood Brewery. Get ready to kick back and enjoy live performances from talented local artists, savoring tasty eats from food vendors, shopping local small shops & enjoying the all day kids zone!
The day starts at 10am with our Pancake Breakfast! All Day Kids Zone!
Day time event ends at 5pm and our doors open for our evening Headlining Concert at 7pm – Graham Trude (19+)! Evening concert tickets are additional*
You don’t want to miss the inaugural Collingwood Country Fest!
Purchase Tickets: CLICK HERE
GRAHAM TRUDE
Graham Trude is a Canadian Country musician, performer and songwriter with a characteristically big voice and an even bigger heart. An introspective singer with a confessional style of writing, Graham draws on his life experiences, weaving tales of love and loss into memorable melodies that have earned him admiration in both the independent rock world and modern country circles.
Dubbed “The Singing Soldier” by Canadian country music legend Bruce Good (of The Good Brothers), Graham is a unique songwriter and performer who brings an unforgettable presence to the stage, regardless of whether he is performing in a packed theatre or an intimate coffee shop. With a sound and style borne out of a mix of country, rock and pop honed through years of writing, there is an honesty to his music that is very authentic and relatable. His ability to connect with every listener has seen Graham build an ever-growing fan base of loyal followers who have found solace and release in his melodies and his lyrics.
With a strong military and law enforcement background, Graham is able to write from a place of empathy and understanding when it comes to stories about love, loss and the connection of emotion. Graham served as a front line armoured corps tank driver in the Afghanistan rotation 3-09 with the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (RC) B Platoon. Upon his return home to Canada, he was determined to continue his work on the front lines – this time as a police officer in the remote fly in indigenous communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, Poplar Hill, Ontario.
As a result of a military injury and a law enforcement incident, Graham was diagnosed with complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in 2019. At the lowest point in his life, he turned to writing music to find solace and eventually found the strength to take his future into his own hands and turn his life around. Graham departed from law enforcement in 2020 to pursue his love and career in song writing and performing.
Graham’s music has been well-received by both his fans and experienced critics. In 2013, he placed top 3 in a provincial song writing competition and was chosen to write and perform the theme song for a Canadian-based television series The Real Canadian Joes. In review of his single “PTSD”, The Rider News blog said “this soulful, gentle giant who possesses that rare combination of extreme vulnerability and playful bravado, delivers his message loud and clear”. Graham’s first two single releases of 2022, “PTSD” and “My Old Town” were released to radio in Canada and have both reached success as top downloaded tracks on Yangaroo DMDS Country.
His most recent release, a stunning and sombre acoustic version of his track “PTSD” was released on Remembrance Day, and received international feedback and acclaim from fans, first responders, and military veterans all over the world.
Graham’s music draws from a number of genres and inspirations, with a modern rock and country culture heavily influencing his song writing, and he has several exciting new releases planned for 2023 and beyond. Additionally, he intends to use his voice to continue to advocate for those who carry psychological scars in their daily lives. With a promising career ahead, “The Singing Soldier” strives towards a future where all suffering feel seen, heard and understood and receive the care and support that they deserve.
“The main goal with my music is to help people, I believe life is about people helping people and giving back”.
