Rogers Sarnia Bayfest is an annual music festival in Centennial Park - downtown Sarnia, Ontario, Canada - that takes place in July each year.
Since 1999, Rogers Bayfest has grown from attracting a few thousand visitors to approximately 100,000.
The festival is run by Bayfest Festival of Performing Arts; a non-profit charitable organization. Bayfest involves and benefits a number of charities and capitalizes on the hometown feeling and the festival environment.
As of 2009, Bayfest split into two weekends in July: Rock acts play on the 2nd weekend, and a Country weekend follows on the 3rd weekend. The festival has won numerous awards: The largest being 1) Winner of Ontario Tourism's Best Business/Event of the year 2009, and 2) Festival of Distinction which is a Lifetime Achievement award given out by Festival and Events Ontario.
Bayfest also has 2 scholarship programs for students. The first is The Jim Stokley Scholarship which was founded after the passing of Jim Stokley (co-founder of Bayfest) and the second is a Bayfest/MetalWorks Institute scholarship. There are currently 2 Jim Stokley Scholarships given out annually to deserving Sarnia-Lambton students and 1 Bayfest/MetalWorks Institute annually.
Bayfest Festival of Performing Arts has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to local charities and non-profit organizations.
1999 - Sloan, Amanda Marshall, Prairie OysterWhiskey River Band
2000 - Kim Mitchell, Loverboy, Big Wreck, David Wilcox, Moist
2001 - Collective Soul, Tom Cochrane, Wide Mouth Mason, Treble Charger, 9 House, George Thorogood, Staggered Crossing
2002 - The Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, Sloan, The Guess Who, Nickelback, The Watchmen, The Headstones, Flicker
2003 - Blink-182, Sum 41, Barenaked Ladies, Matthew Good, Pete Yorn, Foo Fighters, Cheap Trick
2004 - The Tragically Hip, Colin James, Bryan Adams, ZZ Top, Finger Eleven, The Spades, Death Of Eight
2005 - 3 Doors Down, Staind, No Address, Alter Bridge, David Lee Roth, Kalan Porter, Amanda Stott, High Holy Days, Billy Talent, Kid Rock
2006 - Keith Urban, Collective Soul, Everclear, Astronaut, Gretchen Wilson, Brooks and Dunn, Scott Manery & The Barnburners
2007 - Nickelback, Aerosmith, Toby Keith, Def Leppard, Scott Manery & The Barnburners
2008 - Bon Jovi, See Spot Run, Low Level Flight, Mötley Crüe, Scarlet Sins, Revolver, Fergie, Down With Webster, Seidat, The Black Crowes, Stone River, Death Of Eight, Crash Kelly, Rascal Flatts, Daphene Darling, Scott Manery &The Barnburners, Face to Face, Crystal Gage, Big & Rich ft. Cowboy Troy, Emerson Drive
2009 -
Rock Weekend: Counting Crows, The Trews, KISS, Dean Lickyer, Stone Temple Pilots, Our Lady Peace, Running Red Lights, Bobnoxious
Country Weekend: Tim Mcgraw, Jason Blaine, Shelly Rastin, Brad Paisley, Doc Walker, Deric Ruttan
2010 -
Rock Weekend: Scorpions, Cinderella, Bobnoxious, Rush, Weezer, Sam Roberts, Crash Karma
Country Weekend: Keith Urban, The Road Hammers, Aaron Lines, Alan Jackson, Dean Brody, Shane Yellowbird, Scott Manery & The BarnburnersWhiskey River Band
Added Show: Black Eyed Peas, Down With Webster
2011 -
Country Weekend: Trace Adkins, Montgomery Gentry, Lady Antebellum, Rodney Atkins, Scott Manery & The Barnburners, George Canyon, Dry County, Aaron Pritchett,
Rock Weekend: The Tragically Hip, KISS, Steve Miller Band, INXS, The Trews, Marianas Trench, Tokyo Police Club, Theory of a Deadman, The Tea Party, The Arkells, Joel Plaskett,