The aptly titled, Field Trip Music and Arts Festival, is a family friendly affair with a laid-back atmosphere. Reminiscent of going on a school field trip to visit Fort York, the festival provided attendees with the opportunity to explore the historic grounds of the old Toronto fort while enjoying a variety of local and international music at the two stages set up on the grounds.

Activities for the whole family were readily accessible with a bouncy castle for the young-uns to jump around in, impromptu ping-pong tournaments occuring throughout the days, bean bag tossing competitions between friends, and watermelon eating contests at The Mess Hall. Little kids could be seen running around the historic fort with green balloons tied to their hands as music floated over the old barracks.

The family-friendly event created a uniquely safe feeling for a festival. Many people could be seen enjoying the music on lawn chairs and blankets, while Moms and Dads were walking around the grounds, bottle-feeding their babies with sound cancelling head phones caressing the delicate little ears of the babes.

The second day of the festival got off to a wet start with inclement weather encouraging festival organizers to suspend the music and evacuate the grounds until early evening. Once the grounds opened again and the music started back up, the sun could be seen setting over the infamous Toronto skyline as the trees in the barracks lit up with pinks and purples, illuminating the leaves that danced magically in the breeze. Patio lights could be seen twinkling above the various food trucks that provided Torontonians with a taste of some of the local cuisine.

From Portobello Burger‘s vegetarian, vegan, gluten free options, to Caplansky’s Deli with a menu filled with BBQ brisket, the vast array of food trucks provided festival-goers with plenty of gourmet options. Curbside Deliciousness offered butter chicken nachos to attendees and The Flying Chestnut Kitchen‘s bright blue and yellow FCK sign beckoned attendees to come try their different tacos. JP‘s truck offered a slew of BBQ options straight from their smoker and The Pop Stand provided gourmet popsicle choices to attendees including cherry bourbon sour, blueberry lime mint and basil lime.

Festival-goers were also given the opportunity to explore the historic Toronto landmark with The Laugh Barracks and the Analogue Gallery Sound Image Exhibition being set up in the barracks buildings, while The Marketplace provided attendees with the opportunity to buy trinkets by local vendors.

The two stages in the grounds saw The National closing the festival on the Saturday night of the event, and Robyn re-scheduled to shut down the night on Sunday with her energetic performance at 9:25 p.m. The pop star danced her way around the Garrison Stage in a sparkly, silver sequinned costume, shaking her hips as she belted out original tunes, new music, and remixes of some of her most-loved tracks by some of her favourite dance artists from across the globe.

While Sunday’s inclement weather unfortunately led to the cancellation of “Nashville” famed sisters Lennon and Maisy’s set, Canadian Basia Bulat was still able to take the TD Stage to perform as the fluffy, dark blue clouds rolled off into the distance, showcasing her soulfully pleasing raspy voice. The two-day event also saw performances by Santigold, July Talk, Ra Ra Riot, and Dear Rouge.

Field Trip is a definite must-attend Toronto summer event, providing activities and music for all ages of festival-goers. Being true to its name, the festival uses the “field trip” theme to its advantage, providing attendees with the opportunity to not only watch some of their favourite musicians perform, but to also explore a part of Toronto’s history in the shadow of the CN Tower.