After twelve seasons of hosting live musical performances, the stage at the Trailside Cafe in Mount Stewart will be silent this year.

Due to career changes and other commitments, owners Doug Deacon and Barb MacDonald are no longer able to run the business and have reluctantly decided it is time to sell it. Says Deacon, “it is a great place and it has been very rewarding, but with me working fulltime for the town of Stratford and Barb working on a special project in Halifax, we just don’t have the time to do it anymore. It is time for us to move on.”

The Trailside has had a long history. Doug Deacon purchased the old co-op store on Main Street in Mount Stewart in the fall of 1996. Doug and his son Jonas restored the historic building and were recognized with a Heritage Preservation award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation for their efforts. The licensed cafe and bicycle rental business were opened in the summer of 1997 and four rooms were added upstairs for overnight guests in the summer of 1998.

From the time the café  opened, Trailside has featured live music on a regular basis from June to October. Over the years, many exceptional musicians from all across Canada have graced the Trailside stage, delighting local audiences as well as those from away. With its intimate setting and special acoustics, Trailside Café became one of the most popular live music venues in Atlantic Canada for singer-songwriters to perform.

Doug and Barb hope to find a new owner to take over the business soon. In the meantime, they would like to express their sincere appreciation to everyone who has helped make Trailside such a special place over the years. We would like to thank all of the great employees who helped run the business, the many wonderful musicians who performed on the Trailside stage, and the many loyal Islanders who came regularly to enjoy our “music and a meal” presentations at the Trailside Café.

We couldn’t have done it without you!