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Muskoka music festival helps businesses regain pandemic losses

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The inaugural Tall Pines Music and Arts Festival kicked off in Gravenhurst on Saturday.

Canadian musicians from across the country and local vendors came together near the Muskoka Warf for a weekend of live music and artisanal goods.

"It's absolutely a godsend. Music heals, and that's what we really want to do with this festival," said Kevin Goodman, the organizer and CEO of Front Row Centre Music and Entertainment.

After two years of limited concerts and festivals, Goodman says they were uncertain what this year's summer would bring.

As restrictions began to ease in the province earlier in the year, he and his team began putting the pieces in place and building the musician lineup to kick off the summer music festival season in Muskoka.

"It's so amazing to be back to live music," said Goodman. "It's so amazing to be here in Muskoka. We are thrilled for the emotion that live music brings."

The feeling of gratefulness is not only being felt by the organizers. Local vendors from across the Muskoka region, who set up shop at Tall Pines, told CTV News that they were forced to pause their businesses due to the pandemic.

"I'm so excited it's been a long two years," said Margo Gracey, the owner of Bramblewood Studio.

"It's just wonderful to feel like we're doing something normal again," said Catharine Miller, who owns Muskoka Mercantile.

With festivals resuming, they are once again dusting off their cash registers and are back in business.

"They're so important to our economy," said Janet O'Connell, the executive director of Muskoka Tourism. "Reopening does not mean recovery for tourism businesses; many of our businesses have taken on a lot of debt."

Over the two-day event, organizers believe thousands of people could attend the festival, and they are hoping to make Tall Pines a yearly tradition in Muskoka moving forward.

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