Help bring new life to Oakville’s Moonshine Cafe 

It’s a story that’s becoming more familiar: a beloved local music venue is facing an uncertain future after its beloved owner passes away. 

John Marlatt and Jane Mackay owned the Moonshine Cafe in Oakville for decades and developed a reputation as being a venue that supported live, local music. The couple had known each other since high school and built and opened the cafe in 2006, welcoming neighbours and musicians alike for almost 20 years until John died in 2023. When the venue’s lease was set to expire last year, Jane decided it was time to hang up the microphone and stage lights, but close friend Mike Wharton doesn’t think the venue has reached the final curtain call. 

“I first met John and Jane in February 2006, a month after the Moonshine first opened. I walked in the door one evening and fell in love with the place on the spot,” Wharton says. “I live across the street from the original location and quickly made the Moonshine a daily stop on my way home for a coffee.” 

For the 18 years the Moonshine Cafe operated, Wharton was a regular. “I watched and learned from John. I watched John create this unique place dedicated to the musicians and the audience experience,” he says. “While nobody could possibly replace the character John was, the Moonshine needs to keep John’s dedication to the art alive. The legendary Moonshine Cafe and all its history deserves to live on for the Canadian music community.” 

What made the cafe special was its focus on music. “There’s no TV on the wall, there’s no radio station playing in the background,” Wharton says. “The Moonshine is known for live music and everything that goes with the live music culture.” It’s in that spirit that Wharton has taken over the venue and is hoping to raise enough money to restore it — and reopen it for future generations of musicians and music lovers. 

“The Moonshine is inclusive. Every level of skill is welcome and every level of skill has a slot in the weekly schedule to play,” he says. “As John so aptly put it, ‘bringing you live music from around the world and around the world and around the corner.’ And last but not least, there’s Moonshine’s community of regulars. They’re an eclectic group of people of all ages who come to the shows and/or perform the shows.” 

Wharton and others have started a GoFundMe campaign to help reopen the Moonshine Cafe. 

“The GoFundMe drive is to complete the construction and set-up to get the Moonshine opened in our new location. Bureaucratic delays in getting the building permit from the town of Oakville set us back four months. That’s four months of monthly expenses that our budget can’t fully absorb,” he says. “On top of that, material cost increases this year have been unusually high. Anyone who follows live music knows small venues like The Moonshine, which are dedicated to promoting performers from all corners of Canada, are a necessity to the industry. The touring artists need a stage to play with an audience who is there to appreciate their work. The up-and-coming artist needs a stage to ‘cut their teeth’ on, with an audience who is supportive and encouraging.” 

So far, nearly $25,000 of the $49,000 goal has been raised, but Wharton is hoping the community will help bring the project to the finish line. The new location, 568 Kerr Street, will look and feel familiar: the original stage, furniture and barnboard will be making the move from the place so many knew and loved. 

Among his favourite memories of the venue, Wharton recalls seeing Steve Poltz playing at the Moonshine. He also met Bob Snider there. “Meeting Steven and experiencing his musicianship and showmanship for the first time is a memory I’ll keep forever. Bob is one of the most unique characters the Canadian music community has to offer.” 

As a life-long music fan, Wharton is hoping to bring that some sense of community to new audiences. “An evening at the Moonshine is one of those experiences that are hard to describe. You just have to come out and experience it for yourself to truly get it.” 

More information on the venue and the campaign can be found here.