The third annual Ottawa Valley Buskerfest kicked off with a slightly larger crowd attending the drone show than last year, according to Downtown Pembroke Business Improvement Area Executive Director Bethea Summers.
The total number in attendance during the main event on Saturday was also larger than last year, Summers said, with about 9,000 attendees this year compared to about 8,000 in 2025.
The event also saw greater participation this year from businesses in the downtown area, which Summers attributed to business owners seeing the success of the previous events and deciding to join in.
A wrap-up meeting to debrief the organizing committee is scheduled for next week. Summers says her team will discuss possible changes to the event for next year, including potentially wrapping up the Saturday festivities a bit earlier in the day.
Summers is also circulating a survey attendees can fill out to share their thoughts on the event. She says the feedback she receives from the survey will shape future iterations of Buskerfest. You can fill out the survey here.
(Steve Berard)
