Cape Breton Music + Overnight Stay at The Normaway Inn

Experience the beauty of autumn on the Cabot Trail during your 2 or 3 night stay at The Normaway Inn with tickets to attend the annual Fiddle & Folk Foliage Farewell concerts at The Barn.

Nestled beneath the hills of the Cape Breton Highlands just off the Cabot Trail in the Margaree Valley, The Normaway Inn has been welcoming travellers from around the world since 1928 while introducing them to the many talented musicians that call Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia home during concerts at The Barn, Cape Breton’s iconic music venue. Located on the grounds of the inn, The Barn hosts popular music events, Ceilidhs and concert series each summer and fall, ending their season with the Fiddle & Folk Foliage Farewell, a 3-day music festival taking place October 23-25, 2025. 

Your Cape Breton Music & Overnight Stay package includes:

• Two or three night accommodations in a room, cabin or suite at the Normaway Inn
• Two tickets per night of your stay to attend the Fiddle & Folk Foliage Farewell concert at The Barn.

Prices

• 2 night package starts from $279 per couple
• 3 night package starts from $399 per couple

Price based on Inn “Type B” Room, regularly $169 per night. For more expensive rooms, cabins and suites deduct $60 per night for 2 night stay; $70 per night for 3 night stay, from regular price.

To book your two night or three night package and for any questions and more information, please call The Normaway Inn at (902) 248-2987 or 1-800-565-9463 or visit thenormawayinn.com for information on the Inn. If booking online, simply type “Music Package” in the box marked “Guest request”.

Please note: Meals are not included in the packages. Dining at the onsite restaurant will be available and just an 8 minute drive from the Inn you’ll find The Dancing Goat Café & Bakery which is a popular spot for soups, sandwiches, baked goods and more.

Please visit The Barn Music & Theatre Society on Facebook for up-to-date information on all events.

2025 Fiddle & Folk Foliage Farewell performances include:

• Thursday, October 23 at 8pm: Kevin LeVesconte: Fiddle, Celtic Piano. Neil McDaniel: Guitar, Vocals, Mandolin, Tin Whistles, Celtic Piano
• Friday, October 24 at 8pm: Fiddle Concert-Ceilidh featuring Howie MacDonald and Beverly MacLean on Fiddle and Piano
• Saturday, October 25 at 8pm: John Francis MacNeil: Guitar, Vocals, Harmonica playing Folk, Blues, and Cape Breton music

About the performers

Howie MacDonald, a member of The Rankins, is a fiddle and piano virtuoso who has two tunes on movie soundtracks including his haunting rendition of the Skye Boat Song, featured in the Jeff Bridges movie, White Squall.  He has composed dozens of fiddle tunes and, although best known as a fiddler, he is a superb pianist whether chording for fiddlers or performing piano solos.

Beverly MacLean, from Southside Boularderie, is a Cape Breton fiddler and piano player who performs regularly in KitchenFest, at the Louisbourg Playhouse, as well as internationally in Denmark. She performed with Howie MacDonald during the 2024 Celtic Colours International Festival held each October throughout Cape Breton Island.

Neil McDaniel is a multi-talented singer-songwriter and instrumentalist born into a musical family in Margaree Forks. He’s performed throughout the Maritime provinces, the Ottawa Valley, Ireland and Japan. He switches frequently among genres and instruments: Guitar, Mandolin, Bazouki, Tin Whistles, and Celtic Piano.

Kevin LeVesconte, originally from St. Peter’s, is now based in Mabou. An engineer and a piano tuner, his Cape Breton style music displays an intuitive flexibility and strong technical skills. Kevin began playing both fiddle and piano at a young age. He performs regularly with Neil McDaniel at the Baddeck Gathering Ceilidhs, Glenora Distillery and the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou.

John Francis MacNeil, from Mabou, sings and plays guitar and harmonica. His diverse repertoire includes Folk, Blues, Celtic, Cape Breton and much more. He has performed at the Red Shoe Pub in Mabou and plays twice weekly at the Glenora Distillery.