The Aboriginal Pavilion for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games is lone “official” Indigenous music and arts festival

The Aboriginal Pavilion for the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games is the lone “official” Indigenous music and arts festival for the games, and organizers have announced a full line-up of musicians and multi-disciplinary artists who will “transform Fort York Historic Site’s Garrison Common grounds into one of the summer’s hottest free admission festival destinations,” reads a press release. The Pavilion marks the first time in the history of the games that there has been such a large and strong Aboriginal music, comedy, dance and multi-disciplinary arts presence during the world sporting event.

The Pavilion’s Opening Night extravaganza kicks off on July 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. And then it’s music, comedy and dance and theatre until July 26. More than 40 Indigenous music talents from across North America are in the line-up, including A Tribe Called Red, Crystal Shawanda, Quetzal Guerrero, Don Ross, Leela Gilday, LightningCloud, Digging Roots, Susan Aglukark, Derek Miller, Cris Derksen, Bitterly Divine, George Leach and Reyes Poetry and Sacramento Knoxx. Comedians include sketch comedy group 1491s, Candy Palmater, the “half-breed humor” of Dustin Hollings (of the Banned Council), and Ryan McMahon.