Splash of Culture presented by Mercedes-Benz Newmarket

Date(s)

Aug 28, 2025, 6 to 7 p.m.

Event type

Town Event

Address

200 Doug Duncan Dr
Newmarket ON L3Y 3Y9
Canada

Splash of Culture 2025 presented by Mercedes-Benz Newmarket

Thursday, August 28, 2025 | 8 p.m.

Newmarket Riverwalk Commons (200 Doug Duncan Drive)

Free admission

Enjoy an evening of performances showcasing original music. You’ll experience art, water and music colliding into a dazzling evening under the stars in a unique setting as we transform the Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Water Feature into a beautifully lit stage complete with a baby grand piano. Food and beverage will be available for cash purchase.

Splash of Culture 2024 presented by Mercedes-Benz Newmarket

Open-air concert in a park at sunset, with vibrant lights and water fountains.

Glowing orbs float on a reflective pool at night, with a grand piano nearby.

Join us for an evening of musical performances by very talented artists in a unique setting as we transform the Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Skating and Water Feature into a beautifully lit stage complete with a baby grand piano. Be sure to complete your summer with this memorable event.

Tables and chairs will not be available at this year's event. Please remember to bring your own seating.

Light refreshments will be available for purchase.

This year's event will feature musical artists:

The Blackburn Brothers

Three men in hats and sunglasses, outdoors, with serious expressions.

An obvious uniqueness that identifies and sets apart Blackburn Brothers is that they are a band of brothers. Led by Duane (lead vocals, organ, piano), Brooke (guitar, vocals, writing), and Cory (drums, harmony vocals). Oldest brother Robert (guitar, vocal harmonies, writing) and cousin Nathan (bass guitar) can be heard on recent studio recordings. Longtime horn section bandmates include Neil Brathwaite on tenor saxophone and Ted Peters on trombone. Touring bass guitarist is Andrew Stewart. The brothers musical lineage traces back to R&B legend Bobby Dean Blackburn, whose legacy in the Toronto music scene spans over six decades.

Beyond the music, other history runs deep. The Blackburn Brothers are 4th-generation Canadians, descended of freedom seekers through the Underground Railroad and settling in Southern Ontario. The Blues that the Blackburn Brothers create is part of their inheritance, and always about a message of history, freedom, legacy, family, Black unity, and love. The SoulFunkn’Blues album is a tribute to all the trailblazers, all of the ancestors and forgotten tribes who taught the Blackburn Brothers the importance of history, blues, soul, groove, rhythm and life. It is a tribute to 230 years of Canadian Roots and Blues.

Blackburn Brothers have graced stages alongside an illustrious lineup of globally renowned icons, from the legendary Mavis Staples and Dr. John and The Nite Trippers to the electrifying talents of Christone "Kingfish" Ingram and Cedric Burnside. Additionally, they've shared the spotlight with esteemed Canadian artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Colin James, The Bros. Landreth, among others. These collaborations highlight their versatility and appeal across different genres and audiences. They have performed at many of the largest blues, jazz, and folk music festivals across North American and in Central America.

The Blackburn Brother’s latest album SoulFunkn'BLUES (Sep 2023) has garnered international acclaim, with reviews and features in several prominent music publications. Additionally, the album has received three American 2024 Blues Music Awards nominations for Album of The Year, Soul Blues Album of The Year, and Song of The Year (a new precedent from a Canadian band), and a 2024 JUNO Awards nomination for Blues Album of The Year. Considered the highest honours on the Canadian Blues scene, Blackburn Brothers collectively earned a record-setting nine nominations in the 2024 Maple Blues Awards including: Entertainer of the Year and Electric Act of the Year.

Joyride

Car with two men and a piano strapped on the roof.

Colin Maier (oboe, saw, vocals, from Quartetto Gelato) & Mark Camilleri (pianist and music director for The Tenors) are "Joyride", an all-out "music party" where they play their favorites based in Latin jazz, pop jazz, ragtime, klezmer and bebop, as well as Celtic, folk and tango. These two players can go out on a limb improvising and composing on the spot, taking the audience along with them on their musical adventures. JoyRide has performed far and wide: in Toronto, Cornwall, Deep River and Ancaster, and at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre, the Collingwood Festival, the Lowville Festival, the Westdale Theatre in Hamilton, the Burlington Performing Arts Centre, and at the State University of New York at Fredonia. JoyRide's recently released self-named CD has received radio play on jazz stations around the world, with reviews coming in from as far away as Spain, Denmark, the UK, and all across North America. The New York Music Daily says "Ridiculous, virtuosic, outside-the-box fun from JoyRide… It takes a lot of nerve to make music as amusing as JoyRide's."

"The audience was enthralled and dizzy with these supermen of music!" (Eden Mills Music Club audience member)

Colin Maier is an oboist and multi-instrumentalist who is also a dancer, actor, stuntman, singer, martial artist and Cirque de Soleil acrobat. Originally from Calgary, he has performed with orchestras across Canada and been seen in shows such as Lord of the Rings, Amadeus, Cats, A Chorus Line, and Sarah Brightman's World Tour. During the Vancouver 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies, he was featured as the Devil Fiddler in the Flying Blue Canoe. Since 2009, he has travelled the world, performing as a member of Quartetto Gelato. www.colinmaier.com

Pianist, composer, arranger and producer Mark Camilleri is the music director for The Tenors and director/producer of hundreds of theatre and musical productions in Canada. He has worked with some of show business's biggest names, such as Il Divo, Celine Dion, Sting, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Jim Cuddy and many more, and has produced award-winning CD's for Jeff Healey, The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Alan Thicke, and others. https://www.imaginesoundstudios.com

Splash of Culture presented by Mercedes-Benz Newmarket 2023:

Past Event Information:

Thursday, August 31, 2023 | 7:30 to 10 p.m.

An evening of musical performances by talented musical artists in a unique setting as we transformed the Mercedes-Benz Newmarket Skating and Water Feature into a beautifully lit stage complete with a baby grand piano.

The Irv at the George and Square Spoon will be on site with food and drink available for purchase.

Featured Artists:

Dr Draw and the Strange Parade

Dr. Draw and The Strange Parade is a dynamic musical ensemble led by the pioneering Canadian electric violinist, Dr. Draw. With a captivating blend of groove-filled epic transcendental rock and world fusion, their music takes audiences on a mesmerizing sonic journey, infused with a sprinkle of gypsy flavour and a touch of disco mist. Their upcoming record, The Strange Parade, is complete and set to be released in the fall of 2023.

Four men standing against a brick wall, smiling casually.

Thompson Egbo-Egbo

Acclaimed Toronto composer and pianist, Thompson Egbo-Egbo is always in key. Deeply rooted in his upbringing – moving to Canada from Nigeria at age four, commencing his dedication to playing the piano at the age of six – his innate aptitude and affection for the instrument is as strong as ever to this day. After recieving degrees in music and production at both Humber College and Berklee College of Music, his trio released the album, A New Standard in 2018 which was Thompson’s debut on MNRK Music Group and sought to redefine the concept of the jazz standard, and included original takes on Radiohead, Bob Dylan and Laura Mvula tunes.Thompson is very involved in his community by being on the board at Jazz FM 91 and has created his own organization The Thompson T. Egbo-Egbo Arts Foundation and Evolving Through the Arts program.

Man in denim jacket gazing out a window.

Sammy Jackson

Singer-songwriter Sammy Jackson is quickly becoming one of Canada's top vocalists, with a personal style that deftly blends jazz, pop, and R&B. With a resume that boasts a JUNO Award, collaborations with top artists such as Barbra Lica, Robi Botos, Rich Brown, and Larnell Lewis, and performances at some of Canada's most prestigious venues, including the Glenn Gould Studio, Koerner Hall, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, and Westben. Jackson consistently captivates audiences with her singing, compositional accomplishments, and collaborative artistic spirit. Her latest EP – the JUNO-Award winning With You - is a sophisticated, intelligent, heartfelt portrait of a musician coming into her artistic prime, and features some of the top young musicians in Canada.

Woman in a floral dress sitting outdoors, surrounded by greenery.

Quincy Bullen and The Coin Collection

Quincy Bullen is an accomplished pianist, composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and singer. Extraordinarily talented, with a great sense of timing, Quincy 'wows audiences across Canada, the USA and the Caribbean. Along with Manny DeGrandis on bass and Graham Shaw on drums (The Coin Collective) you are in for a great night of blues and soul music.

Graham Shaw playing drums, Quincy Bullen pointing, Manny DeGrandis playing guitar.

Event Photos:

Crowd seated outdoors at an event with a purple food truck in the background.

Man playing a white piano outdoors with colorful fountains in the background.

Outdoor concert with musicians on a stage over water, surrounded by colorful lights.

Singer performing on stage, colorful lights and fountain in the background.

Fountain at night with vibrant pink and purple lighting.

Musician with violin and microphone, colorful lights in background.

Jazz band performing by a fountain, illuminated by purple lights.

Band performing at night in front of a fountain with an audience.