Mariposa in Concert | Mariposa Folk Festival

More Music Beyond the Summer

The Mariposa Folk Festival produces concerts throughout the year usually held in Orillia. These intimate affairs often feature artists that have played the Festival.

Mariposa’s Annual ‘Evening of Blues & Gospel’ Show Feb. 21, 2026

GET TICKETS HERE

Orillia’s own Lance Anderson is back with his 14th annual Blues and Gospel Show in the Orillia Opera House on Feb. 21, 2026, featuring a roster of stellar musicians and vocalists.

“We don’t know what surprises Mother Nature will have for us this winter, but this annual sold-out show will provide a fun, musical break,” Mariposa Folk Festival President Pam Carter said.

Tickets are $40 (all fees and taxes included) and are available at the Orillia Opera House Box Office or online at orilliaoperahouse.ca. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

The stellar lineup this year includes Garnetta Cromwell, Gavin Hope, Wade O. Brown, Mackenzie Jordan, Steve Pelletier and Everton White, arranged and directed by JUNO award-winning producer, Lance Anderson.

Garnetta Cromwell

Garnetta is a powerhouse lead vocalist and entertainer that sends “goosebumps” up and down your spine. She instantly connects and engages with her audience.

To date, with her band, Dagroovmasters, she has performed at several local and national festivals, including TD Jazz, Calgary Bluesfest, Orangeville BluesFest, South Side Shuffle, Lighthouse Blues Fest, Wasaga Beach Blues Fest and more. The band has also performed the infamous Hard Rock Cafe and at Alfred’s, both in Memphis, Tennessee.

They won the Maple Blues Award, for New Artist/Group, as well as the 2024 Blues Blast Magazine Music Award for New Artist Debut Album, “Time to Shine,” and have just finished a western Canadian tour, which introduced that same critically acclaimed debut album.

Cromwell has performed at the prestigious Massey Hall, Toronto, ON for two consecutive years at the 35th & 36th Women’s Blues Revue.

She is a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Award Recipient, Special Advisory Council League of Human Rights Canadian, Harry Jerome Award – Entertainment & Community Bob Marley Award for Community and Education

“It is indeed Garnetta Cromwell’s time to shine!! Top notch vocals and songwriting with impeccable musicianship ….” John Kleinman – Living Blues Magazine.

Gavin Hope

Canadian Vocalist Gavin Hope is a three-time Juno Award Nominee, both as a solo headlining vocalist and also as the longest running Baritone member of the iconic Canadian A Cappella group, The Nylons.

In addition to touring globally, he has recorded six studio albums with The Nylons, as well as two more successful recordings – solo pop album “Anything Like Mine” which nationally charted on radio top 100 and top 40, and most recently the beautifully minimalist Jazz album, “For All We Know,” featuring Bill King, which received rave reviews on Jazz charts and considered one of the top Canadian Jazz albums of the year by the Toronto Star.

Gavin’s love of the stage also includes musical theatre. Highlights from the many shows he’s been involved in include being an original Canadian cast member of the hit Broadway musicals, The Lion King (Simba) and RENT (Collins) in Toronto. More recently Gavin was in the Dora Award-winning (Best New Musical) Dixon Road, and the Dora Award-nominated original all-Black Canadian opera – Of the Sea, and then bared it all this year as “Horse” in the hit musical, The Full Monty.

Besides countless commercials and TV appearances, Theatre, and Nylons tour dates, Gavin has shared stages with the likes of Natalie Cole, Deborah Cox, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Corey Hart, Bryan Adams, David Foster, and many other notable names.

Gavin has been a headlining featured vocalist with Jeans ‘n Classics (JnC) for almost two decades. With JnC, Gavin has been performing Symphony Pops concerts in the U.S. and Canada, bringing the music of Earth Wind and Fire, Michael Jackson, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Rocky Horror, Motown, Woodstock, Soulful, Music of Apollo, Rock and Pop, Woodstock, James Bond and more, all to the symphonic stage.

Wade O. Brown

Born and raised in Detroit, this singer/songwriter/keyboardist was mentored as a teen by the legendary Clark Sisters and became a regular in the Midwest Gospel community. As a young adult he moved to Toronto, where there was a burgeoning Soul music scene, and was soon fronting a band at singer Keith Washington’s soul food restaurant. Brown began making a name for himself playing private parties in the Toronto area and became a vocalist of choice when soul performers such as Aretha Franklin and Glenn Lewis came to town. He played on SNL with Drake, who had special guest Stevie Wonder.

Working with friend Wil Van Zyk, Brown put together a solo album debut, “Complete,” in 2003. The disc was a fine showcase for his talent as a vocalist and garnered the interest of a number of important collaborators for his second disc, “All Night All Love.”

Mackenzie Jordan

Mackenzie Jordan is a 25-year-old guitarist and artist from New Hamburg Ontario. He is an artist in many respects as he is also a songwriter and musician for rock and roll bands, and paints furniture in a wide variety of styles bringing new life to old pieces.

Mackenzie finds inspiration in the romantic paintings by John Waterhouse, and he also likes to show his love for music in his artwork. Mackenzie continues to find inspiration in a number of different art forms. Art is art after all.

Mackenzie player guitar in Midnight Rider – The Music of the Allman Brothers, the hit of the festival at last year’s Kitchener Blues Fest. By the way, Mackenzie is a founding member of the Matchedash Parish.

Steve Pelletier

Born and raised in Hamilton, bassist Steve Pelletier has played with a “who’s who” list of Canadian artists including a nine-year tenure with the Colin James Band. The Julian Taylor Band, and Matt Andersen round out a long list of who he has played with including Jeff Healey, David Wilcox, Sass Jordan, Long John Baldry, Steve Lukather, Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda and the Shuffle Demons.

A valuable member of the Greater Toronto Area music scene, Steve has also made himself known on an international level, having performed on Joe Bonamassa’s “Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea” cruise and a variety of legendary venues and events, including Massey Hall, The Orpheum in Vancouver, the Calgary Stampede, Montreal Jazz Fest, Havana International Jazz Fest and The Funky Biscuit.

Everton White

Everton was brought up playing gospel music in his church. He has played with Quisha Wint and with Lance in ‘Everyday People – The Music of SLY and the FAMILY STONE’ show. He appeared at the popular 2025 GOSPEL BREAKFAST show at the Kitchener Blues Festival.

Lance Anderson

Internationally recognized producer, composer Lance Anderson has brought together the best in Canada’s Blues, Gospel and R&B world for the 14th time, for Mariposa. This series showcases the best artists in the genre but also emerging talent that Orillia artists may not be familiar with, but will not forget.

Anderson has a long career recording artists like Blackburn, The Cameo Blues Band, Garth Hudson (The Band), 2B3 The Toronto Sessions, Matchedash Parish and is about to release a N’Orleans themed CD as Lance Anderson and the NOLA Parish and a world Jazz CD called Lance Anderson and the Word Jazz Asylum. He produces The Last Waltz – A Musical Celebration of The Band and tours Ontario theatres with other shows he has created.

He has recorded and performed with the Maple Blues Band, Shakura S’Aida, Shawn Kellerman, Roly Platt, Al Lerman, Ken Whiteley and US artists like with Johnny Rawls, Lee Oskar, Deanna Bogart, Anne Harris, Tommy Castro,

He was co-producer of the ‘Oscar with Love’ 3CD set that commemorated the 90th Anniversary of Oscar’s birth and featured Michel Legrand, Chick Corea, Oliver Jones, Ramsey Lewis and many more.

The Mariposa Folk Festival’s 2025-26 Concert Series is sponsored by Alleycats Music & Art, Apple Annie’s Café, Back to Function, CanPro Plumbing, Cathy Cleary, Dapper Depot, Dentistry on West, Tim and Rhonda Lauer, Lavender Hills Farm, Paul Raymond and Natalie Little, Amy & Al Wallace, Woodland Tree Service.