When: Friday through Sunday

Where: Comox Valley Exhibition Grounds, Courtenay

Tickets: Festival passes $159 (adult), $129 (senior), or $99 (youth); day passes $69 (Friday) or $89 (Saturday or Sunday) at the gate or Sid Williams Theatre box office

Info: islandmusicfest.com

Phone: 1-866-898-849

Some 200 musicians will strum and croon across six stages at the Vancouver Island MusicFest this weekend, from popular acts such as Arrested Development and Holly Cole to music legends Randy Newman and David Crosby.

But the biggest addition to the VIMF lineup is a new emphasis on accessibility to this outdoor show, meaning that pretty well everybody will be capable of enjoying its idyllic rural setting.

That suits Laurie Fisher and her son Cory, who have enjoyed the VIMF for years. Cory gets around with a wheelchair and a helping hand, a combination that can be tricky at festivals.

“Last year was a bit more frustrating,” said Laurie, who contacted organizers after the last festival to make a few recommendations.

The organizers responded by integrating access considerations throughout their festival plans.

This year’s show includes multiple wheelchair-accessible viewing areas, some in sun, others in shade, routes that enable all viewers to come and go during shows rather than only between them, and a main stage viewing platform.

Cory, who speaks with the help of a battery-powered computer, took a test drive of the festival setup on Thursday. Because organizers added a charging station to the festival grounds, even if his batteries run dry Cory will be able to plug in and let them know what he thinks.

Cory wasn’t sure which acts he wanted to see when he and his mother were reached by phone on Tuesday, but there is enough variety to ensure he and others will be entertained.

“The fact that Randy Newman and David Crosby among others are playing rural Vancouver Island is worth the trip,” said festival organizer Meg Cursons. But equally so are the festival’s surroundings.

Expansive views of Mount Washington and the mountains of Strathcona Provincial Park frame the stages and the Tsolum River, what Cursons called the “heart of the festival,” borders the fairgrounds.

“It’s so lovely it’s almost absurd,” said Cursons. “It’s this pastoral area on the shores of the Tsolum River in the farming area in the Comox Valley.”

Festival goers who decide to camp on site are offered two options: pitching their tents beside lush green trees or out in the fields beneath starry skies. The rabbits that run wild in the area are a ubiquitous feature.

Like its surroundings, the festival’s musical menu is more rural than urban.

“It’s about good music that celebrates the human condition and also showcases mastery in musical form,” said Cursons, adding that the general theme is roots and traditional music. “It ain’t no pop concert.”

Friday will feature the smooth beats and vocals of hip hop veterans Arrested Development and the must-see stage show of the MarchFourth Marching Band.

Saturday’s lineup includes Hollywood film score fixture Randy Newman, Jon Anderson, the former lead singer of seminal rock band Yes, and the immensely talented country guitarist Albert Lee.

Sunday sees Canadian vocalist Holly Cole and the iconic David Crosby take the stage.

Cursons said VIMF draws a return crowd of all ages and backgrounds.

“It just ends up being a wonderful reflection of community rather than a certain commercial target,” she said.