A Vernon-based Celtic band is ready to entertain at this year’s Vernon Winter Carnival, but it will be doing so for the last time.
Cod Gone Wild has hosted the Irish Pub night at the Carnival since 2012 and has been crowned the Best Adult Event several times over the years. The band will play its final pub night on Feb. 8 during the 60th year of Winter Carnival.
“We’ve had so much fun hosting the Winter Carnival Irish Pub Night over the last eight years, but with dwindling crowd numbers over the last two years, we thought it was time to take a break from organizing the event,” said lead singer and front man Andrew Mercer.
“With this year marking the 60th anniversary of Carnival, it was important for us to be a part of it, but also thought it was a good time following this years celebration, to take a step back.”
The band says it’s far from the end of Cod Gone Wild. In fact, the band is currently working on its sixth studio album to be released later this year and are continuing a busy touring schedule in 2020. Cod is also fresh off a 14-stop tour across the province promoting their Christmas album, Neighbourhood Rounds.
For its final Irish Pub Night the band will be honouring the 1960s theme by encouraging audience members to dress up in attire to match the era in which Winter Carnival began.
The band is also bringing back the Ugly Stick competition. People are invited to build and bring their own traditional Newfoundland Ugly Stick (a homemade musical instrument), with prizes to be given out for best ugly stick performance with the band.
Mercer is leaving the band’s options wide open for the future despite the announcement.
“We could do a revival at some point in the future if the appetite is there for it, or if someone else wanted to step in and take over the organization of the event, we would certainly be interested in performing.”
Tickets for the event are $25 in advance and are available at the Vernon Winter Carnival office or online at www.vernonwintercarnival.com. The show is for ages 19 and older.
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