Remembering the Ompah Stomp

Jeff Green (with inspiration from Arlene Stafford Wilson) | Aug 28, 2024

This weekend marks a quarter of a Century since Ompah ceased stomping.

The Ompah Stomp, a one-day Country Music Festival that took place on the shores of Palmerston Lake each Labour Day weekend starting in 1979, ran for the final time in 1999.

It was started up by the Ompah Snowmobile Club as a one-time fundraising concert, with an expected audience of 200 people to see one the festival founders, Neville Wells and his band Sweetwater (who wore matching ref flannel on stage) as well as Wayne Rostad, Sneezy Waters (of “The Night Hank Williams Died” fame) and others.

3,500 people showed up.

Within a few years, the “Legendary Ompah Stomp” as it quickly became dubbed, was drawing 10,000 people to Ompah, and crowding, making sure everyone was paying the $8 ticket price, and control drug and alcohol intake at the Stomp, became a pre-occupation for a dedicated core of volunteers.

The Snowmobile Club became a source of funds for a number of community projects, including the community hall, as the 80’s and then the 90’s came and went.

Although it took place on the Sunday of the Perth Fair, the Stomps was not really seen as a threat to the Fair, as they drew different crowds.

Over the years, some of the bands that performed at the Stomp included: the Family Brown, Jack McRae and the King of Clubs, The Prescott Brothers, Hugh Scott, Ron McMunn and Carbine, Steve Glenn, David Thompson, Fred Dixon, Dallas Harms and many others.

In addition to music, there vendors and an all-day BBQ available as well, generated additional revenue for the snowmobile club from food sales and vendor fees.

The Stomp developed a reputation as a party event and required paid security staff, and it came to the attention of the OPP as well, who were concerned about traffic flow on Road 509 as well as drinking and driving.

Nonetheless the Ompah Stomp continued to thrive in the 1990’s.

A couple of things contributed to it waning and then closing up after 1999. The Havelock Jamboree, which took place on a much larger (500 acre) flat site right on Highway 7, and catered to camper vans and full sized campers, began running on the third week of August in 1990. The Jamboree quickly grew to become a 4 day event, bringing in International Country Music stars, eclipsing the Stomp as it became an established event.

And some locals say that when the Stomp decided, or rather was forced, to set up beer tent where beer was sold, stopping people from bringing their own beer, wine and spirits, attendees were not pleased.

In any event, the Ompah Stomp ended as quickly and quietly as it began.

This weekend there is music in Ompah once again, Friday Night at the Ompah Hall, with Dom Simone, Divid Young Allen Green, the Ompah choir and special guests. Admission is free and it all gets started at 7pm. Who knows, maybe Neville Wells will show up for old times sake.