Music at Bras d'Or Yacht Club

Cape Bretoners are famous for their love of music, and there's no place more obvious than the Bras d'Or Yacht Club. Every Friday night is Pub night with a wonderful mix of traditional and contemporary musicians. And it's not unusual to find impromptu jam sessions taking place on the occasional weekend through the long months of winter. Whenever a special event is on, you can be sure there'll be a band to help us celebrate.

Next to the entrance of the clubhouse you'll find a music symbol mounted on the wall which identifies the club as a host to regular musical entertainment. This is the symbol used by the Cabot Trail Association to identify venues around the trail that feature musicians on a regular basis. The Village of Baddeck is a member of the Cabot Trail with two music destinations, the Bras d'Or Yacht Club being one, and St. Michael's Parish hall, the other.

During our annual Regatta Week, which begins on the first Sunday of August every year, we feature musical entertainment every evening throughout the entire week. On the final weekend we host a major show which features fabulous entertainers like Matt Andersen, still one of the hottest shows around the Maritimes.

In October, we celebrate the Celtic Colours International Festival by hosting an afternoon warm up session every day in the upper lounge. The Festival takes place all over Cape Breton Island over 9 days, and if you can keep up with the pace you'll hear some of the finest traditional Cape Breton Music every played.

Fun Stuff

The annual Polar Bear Swim is a tradition at BYC, a great way to celebrate New Year's Day with a dip in the chilly waters of the Bras d'Or. Brrrrr. Also a great way to shake off the cobwebs from the excitement and celebration of New Year's Eve, the night before, which is also a great tradition at the yacht club. The hardy swimmers, and the crowd of enthusiastic spectators spend the rest of the afternoon in the upper lounge. Now that's ringing in the New Year in grand style.

Another great tradition at BYC is The Kingfisher World Championships which are held in the summertime during Race Week. This is a race in which the old timers vie for honours, cramming themselves into prams and racing around the harbour. This could well be one of the most hotly contended races of the entire season. Pram races for the old timers is a regular event on most Wednesdays throughout the summer.