The Aunt Martha’s Sheep Festival is Carmanville’s annual summer celebration, proudly brought to life by the Town of Carmanville, the Carmanville Volunteer Fire Department, the Carmanville Recreation Committee, the Carmanville Habitat Committee, along with local organizations, businesses, volunteers, and community supporters.
The festival gets its name from the beloved local legend and song “Aunt Martha’s Sheep,” written by the late Mr. Ellis Coles, a talented local songwriter whose humour, storytelling, and connection to Carmanville continue to live on through this much-loved festival. The song was brought to the airwaves by the late Dick Nolan, a talented and well-loved singer who made “Aunt Martha’s Sheep” one of his signature tracks, helping share this funny local tale with audiences far and wide.
Usually held around the middle of July, Aunt Martha’s Sheep Festival is a week full of music, food, laughter, and woolly good fun. With dances, games of chance, family bingo, community events, and plenty more happening throughout the week, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Visitors, friends, family, and neighbours from near and far are all welcome to come join the flock for a fun-filled week in Carmanville. It’s a festival full of community spirit, local pride, and memories waiting to be made!
“Aunt Martha’s Sheep” is a well-known Newfoundland song written by Ellis Coles of Carmanville and performed by the late Dick Nolan. Released in 1972, the song became one of Nolan’s signature tracks and helped bring this humorous local tale to audiences far beyond Carmanville.
With its playful storytelling and good-natured mischief, the song was often seen as a lighthearted poke at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. It received airplay throughout the 1970s and remains a memorable part of Carmanville’s local history and Newfoundland’s musical storytelling tradition.
