The Downtown Music Festival is set to bring the heart of downtown alive with music on Saturday, September 12. Hosted by the Downtown Smiths Falls Business Association (DSFBA), this full-day celebration of live music will showcase an exciting lineup of local, regional, and Canadian talent.
The festival will kick off at 1pm with free live performances along Russell St. E. Open to the public, the afternoon stage will feature DaNielle Hewitt, Spencer Scharf and Ambre McLean. Landon Bedor will performing at the Town Hall Band Stand at 3:30pm.
Festivalgoers are invited to enjoy an energetic atmosphere in the heart of downtown, complete with great music, shopping, dining, and community spirit.
The excitement continues at the Downtown’s second stage on Main St. W., where doors will open at 4pm for a special ticketed headliner performance, which is a 19+ event. The DSFBA is thrilled to welcome local opening acts One Eyed Dawgs and Vicki Brittle, with Canadian rock icons The Trews to headline this year’s event.
The achievements of rock ‘n’ roll heavyweights The Trews are many and mighty, highlighted by multiple radio hits, drawn from seven critically acclaimed studio albums plus several EPs, a pair of live records, and a retrospective. Comprised of lead vocalist/guitarist Colin MacDonalds lead guitarist John-Angus MacDonald, bassist Jack Syperek, drummer Theo Mckibbon, and keyboardist Jeff Heisholt, The Trews have been one of Canada’s most successful rock bands of the past decade, earning 20 Top 10 Rock radio singles (including three #1’s) and multiple Gold & Platinum certified albums. The band has also received multiple East Coast Music Awards, a CIMA Road Gold Award, an Independent Music Award (US) in 2009 for Best Rock / Metal Song, and numerous JUNO Award nominations.
The Trews have played thousands of shows worldwide, on their own as well as supporting the Rolling Stones, Kiss, Robert Plant, Guns ’n Roses, Aerosmith, Weezer, Mumford & Sons, Bruce Springsteen, Switchfoot and more.
“Downtown Smiths Falls has always had an incredible live music scene that is an important part of the fabric of our downtown and really showcases what we have to offer,” says Sheri Axford, Chair of the DSFBA. “We’re excited to continue building on that in 2026.”
Tickets for the headliner performance are on sale now at select Smiths Falls locations and at downtownsf.ca. Music fans are encouraged to purchase early, as capacity for the Main Street West stage is limited.
The Downtown Smiths Falls Business Association would also like to thank the sponsors involved in making the festival happen: TD, Mel Evans Electric, Canopy Growth, The Lockmasters Taphouse, Wills Transfer Limited, Denoco Energy Systems Ltd., Ingimundson Construction Ltd., Jim Stoddard Natural Gas, Holly Kinch, JPB Industrial and Commercial Services, Ottawa Valley Troughing, Impression Printing, 92.3 WOW FM and 88.1 MY FM.
For updates, lineup announcements, ticket details and more information, please stay tuned to the DSFBA’s pages on Facebook and Instagram, as well as the official website at downtownsf.ca.