The Stanfields and friends take over a sunny weekend in August with sandy beaches, camping, tomfoolery, and of course, MUSIC. Lots of music!

The Blacktop Ball is held on a family property on Nova Scotia's beautiful Northumberland shore.

Ask Google Maps to take you to:

3707 Shore Road, Route 245

Ponds, Nova Scotia, B0K 1G0

BYOB / 19+ / RAIN OR SHINE

There is lots of parking, and you can swim at the beach, but there are no lifeguards. Our security crew are totally professional, CPR-trained, and friendly as all get out. They'll be roaming the site between 6pm and 3am each performance night. There will be food trucks, snacks, and pop-up vendors, but remember to bring some cash because there is no ATM.

If you're planning on sleeping at the site, you need a camping pass. We have designated sections for tents and trailers. Our gate volunteers will direct you when you arrive. Tenting is set-up anywhere you like, no lots; you just find a space and respect your neighbours. Trailer and RV spaces are gridded lots without power or hook-ups, and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For fire, safety and insurance reasons, please no sleeping tents with trailers.

A brief history lesson: we played a private party for our buddy Orville Mason on his cottage deck back in 2010. The 30 people (including us) that were there had so much fun, that we committed to making it an annual shindig. By 2014, word of the party had gotten around so much that hundreds of new friends were showing up unexpectedly. We were overjoyed but ill-prepared! After careful consultation with the brain trust around an upended power line spool full of bottles and scribbled calculations, Orville built an amazing stage, we got organized with the crucial assistance of our amazing friends, and the Blacktop Ball was officially launched publicly in 2015.

Since then, the Blacktop Ball has become the cornerstone of our band's live performance calendar. We carefully curate a line-up of our favourite local artists on two stages every year, and try to add new surprises in every edition (for example: we had a dog pageant in 2019 and it was off the hook). The festival itself is an extension of our creativity and more importantly, a love letter to the countless people from all over the world who attend and have supported us along the way. 

Join us. It's not everyday you can make 1000 new best friends in one of the most laidback and beautiful places on Planet Earth.

- The Stans.