Moonlight Bazaar Returns To Uptown Saint John

Saint Johners will get to see the moon this weekend as the annual Moonlight Bazaar festival returns to uptown Saint John’s Canterbury Street this Saturday.

The festival was put on hold last year due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

Lauchlan Ough, one of the festival’s organizers, said Wednesday that it’s surreal to be back. Ough says he believes Moonlight Bazaar may be one of the first large scale events in Canada to return after the pandemic.

“We [originally] scrapped it for 2021 to be honest,” said Ough in a phone interview. “So, we held off on planning and then we get sideswiped by this green announcement, we’re like, ‘wow, this is real. This isn’t like some halfway there back to reality — this is the whole thing.”

Ough said festival goers can expect a “melting pot” of oddities like local vendors, live entertainment, international foods, record-spinning DJs and even mystic vendors offering services like tarot cards and palm readings.

There will also be an urban park set up along Grannan Lane, and the festival is expanding its site footprint to include Germain Street, too. Once organizers realized they could hold Moonlight Bazaar this year, Ough said they got to work immediately.

“When they announced [the reopening] in June, we put our thinking caps on,” he said. “How do we do this at an expedited speed? Because normally, we would do this in eight months, but we’re doing it in three. It’s kind of like building the car while you’re driving down the road.”

Traditionally, Moonlight Bazaar offers a theme each year. During its last event in 2019, the festival’s theme lined up with the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. This year’s theme involves “coming back to Earth,” which Ough said is a continuity from the last festival.

“The narrative is about coming back to support local because our event is free, it’s in the heart of our city and every business and storefront has the best night of their year during this event,” said Ough.

“So, we win because we want to put on a successful festival, but everyone in our community wins too and I feel like everyone needs that so much right now.”

While the festival won’t enforce COVID rules, Ough says people can still mask up and physical distance if they wish. He adds it’s a testament to residents across the province rolling up their sleeves to get COVID vaccines that have allowed the bazaar to take place.

“I think I’m just so excited to see everybody out again on the streets and having a good time,” said Ough. “Being with their friends and family and laughing, dancing and hearing live music and not being confined to a space; being free again — I can’t wait to see that.”

Moonlight Bazaar takes place on Aug. 28 from 4 p.m. until late in the evening. It’s for 19 years and older, but Ough says younger adults can go with their legal guardians.

Those interested can also find out more about this year’s event through the festival’s new website here.