#SeaShanty Social Media Phenomenon Sparks Inaugural Fundy Sea Shanty Festival in St. Martins, NB
St. Martins: Envision Saint John: The Regional Growth Agency has partnered with Port Saint John and DP World Saint John to present the inaugural Fundy Sea Shanty Festival in St. Martins schedule for August 12-14, 2022. The festival, which is being produced by the St. Martins & District Chamber of Commerce, will pay homage to those ships and sailors who helped forge nations, to acknowledge and celebrate their stories and songs and invite locals and visitors to celebrate the region’s maritime history.
“The Fundy Sea Shanty Festival will be a celebration of our region’s heritage and our future,” says Paulette Hicks, CEO of Envision Saint John. “As the region’s growth agency, we are thrilled to sponsor an event that showcases an integral part of our place brand – our seafaring history – and doing it with partners who are accelerating future opportunities for our region through the modernization of our port.
”The international event will feature sea shanty performances, workshops, historical presentations, meals, a pirate parade and activities for children. Events will take place in the Village of St. Martins with the possibility of pop-up events throughout the region.“
The purpose of sea shanties was to create a sense of community and shared purpose. Along a similar principle, we are pleased to come together with our partners at Envision Saint John and DP World to support this first Fundy Sea Shanty Festival which will celebrate through these historic songs of mariners on merchant ships in times past.
Together we are bringing a truly unique event to the Fundy village of St. Martins, New Brunswick,” says Captain Chris Hall, Interim President & CEO, Port Saint John.DP World, a global leader in container handling services, general cargo and warehousing and distribution services, has been operating at Port Saint John since 2017.“DP World Saint John is thrilled to come together with our partners to support this new event.
The Fundy Sea Shanty Festival will bring together people within our city as well as neighbouring communities to celebrate maritime history and the important role it continues to play in our lives today,” says Terrence White, General Manager, DP World Saint John.Social media has played a role in the recent revival of the sea shanty with #SeaShanty garnering over 6 billion views on Tik Tok and “The Wellerman Remix” on YouTube passing 17 million views.-30-For media inquiries, please contact lead organizer Gary Caines at gary@fundyseashantyfest.com or506 832 3529.