Brantford’s Trail Mix 2024

Umaymah Suhail / Editor-in-Chief
One of the signpost stops on the trail.

This year on National Trail Day, the City of Brantford will release the next season of songs for the Trail Mix, a collection of songs from local artists placed on signposts with QR codes throughout a designated trail. There are a series of songs chosen for each stop, with 10 different stops in total, 10 playlists and three songs in each.

The trail is located behind Brant Crossing and other Brantford tourism destinations. It is a 10-kilometre trail that runs between Hardy Road and the intersection of River Road and Dike Trail. There are a variety of different songs and genres included in the playlists. Every artist can have up to three songs chosen and each playlist is long enough to get you to the next playlist marker.

Each playlist is put together and placed on a signpost where people can scan a QR code and listen to a few original songs created by local artists from the region. Each of the playlists is free for all to listen to.

This is the third year that the Trail Mix has been running in Brantford, as the first year was in 2022. The trail remains the same as the years prior, only the songs change.

Mike Papaloni is an artist that had his song, Long Way, chosen last year for the Trail Mix.

“It was heartwarming to know that at any given moment someone could be walking the same trail I love to walk while listening to a song of mine that I made,” said Papaloni, who also owns Calm Canopy Music.

All of the songs that are included in the Trail Mix are from local artists in the Brant region. Every artist will receive $50 for each song chosen.

“I think that it is very beneficial for the local artist community to have a platform that directly engages with people on the trail,” said Papaloni.

Artists that are a part of the database were contacted by the city and there were social media advertisements posted to get the word out to artists in the area. The Trail Mix is an opportunity for local artists to have a chance to get their music out into the world and connect with the local audience.