▁ 1 9 3 2 . ▁What ▁would ▁become ▁an ▁annual ▁festival , ▁was ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁comm emor ative ▁event ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁Golden ▁J ub ile e ▁of ▁the ▁Water lo o ▁Musical ▁Society . ▁It ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁Water lo o ▁Park ▁making ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁band stand ▁don ated ▁by ▁Joseph ▁E . ▁Se agram ▁of ▁Se agram ▁Dist iller ies . ▁It ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁only ▁two ▁band stand s ▁in ▁Ontario . ▁The ▁event ▁featured ▁fifteen ▁bands ▁and ▁ 8 0 ▁solo ▁perform ers ▁making ▁it , ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁the ▁largest ▁music ▁festival ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁festival ▁ran ▁from ▁ 1 9 3 2 – 4 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 4 6 – 5 8 , ▁going ▁on ▁hi atus ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁ ▁The ▁festival ▁was ▁so ▁popular ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁Toronto ▁Star ▁journalist ▁August us ▁Br id le ▁noted ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁made ▁Water lo o ▁" far ▁more ▁famous ▁than ▁" Ber lin " ▁used ▁to ▁be ▁before ▁W . W . I ▁made ▁the ▁town ▁K itch ener ." ▁By ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁festival ▁featured ▁ 6 0 ▁bands ▁and ▁attract ed ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁solo ▁entries . ▁B ands ▁and ▁solo ▁perform ers ▁from ▁across ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁northern ▁United ▁States ▁played ▁over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁festival ' s