Pizza and Pyjamas JUNO Nomination Party for Chris McKhool’s Little Leaf album set for March 6 at Kingston Road United

The Kingston Road Village Concert Series is hosting a Pizza & Pyjamas – JUNO Nomination Party for veteran musician and Beach favourite Chris McKhool for his new family album Little Leaf on Friday, March 6.

McKhool has just been nominated for 2026 Children’s Album of the Year, and this accomplishment also marks his 30th anniversary as a family entertainer, and his second JUNO nomination in this category since his Canadian Folk Music Award (CFMA) winning album entitled FiddleFire!.

“Those of us at the Kingston Road Village Concert Series couldn’t be more excited to be hosting a free family concert with the modern-day Raffi, Chris McKhool”, said KRVCS founder Tim Dawson. “His beautiful spirit and incredible generosity, not to mention his fabulous song-writing skills will bring joy to you and your family.”

The March 6 event at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., includes free pizza at 5:30 p.m. before the show, for those who register in advance. Doors will open at 5 p.m., to allow time for the pizza party, and the one-hour concert performance will start at 6 p.m.

McKhool will be supported by band members from his other JUNO nominated project Sultans of String, including Saskia Tomkins on fiddle and ancient Swedish nyckelharpa, Kevin Laliberté on guitar, and Drew Birston on bass. They aim to capture the hearts and minds of young families with what past audiences report to be an enchanting performance.

“The Little Leaf album speak to the miracle of life on Earth, and how all living beings around us are part of our community, celebrating the wonder of the natural world” said McKhool, who was recently awarded the Key to the City by Burlington’s mayor for his work creating community through music.

“The title track is inspired by my long-time collaborator, Ojibway Elder Dr. Duke Redbird. The lyrics are based on conversations with Duke, and pulled from his poems.”

The lyrics speak to how all living beings around us are part of our community.

“You can pick up a leaf, and name it – when you name the plants and the animals around you, they become personal, and you see them as part of your circle. Our children also represent little leaves, falling free from their parents and becoming independent, while forever connected to their family and natural environment,” said McKhool.

“Another one of my favourite songs on the album, A Place in the Choir, sings of belonging, where every creature – large or small, ordinary or strange – has a note to add to life’s great chorus. The variety of animal voices is a metaphor for the many shapes of human difference, and reminds us that what seems odd or uncommon is beautiful when joined with others.”

That song is a celebration of community: the magic that emerges when each distinct voice, instead of being hidden, is woven into a shared harmony, said McKhool. “In today’s fractured world, where everyone is living in their silos, diversity can seem like a challenge, but is actually the very source of strength and joy in society,” he said.

McKhool’s career has always held an environment ethos at its core, with the City of Toronto presenting him with an Environmental Award of Excellence for playing a valuable role in the greening of Toronto.

He also provides a global vision of cooperation in his performances. Children are exposed to various grooves from across the world, and join the band on stage playing various percussion instruments, while others dance to the various grooves, and sing songs about taking care of our planet.

For three decades, McKhool has aimed to take his audience to a new level of understanding of our global connection to forests, air, water and animals, with everyone leaving with the feeling that they can make a difference.

McKhool is a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient for creating community through music. Heralded as one of Canada’s hottest musicians for kids, he has been hailed as a “Children’s musical star” (National Post) and “Canada’s greatest eco-troubadour for young people” (Mississauga Living Arts Centre).

Everything McKhool does comes from the heart, and he has been delighting audiences with his joyful songs and exotic world instruments for three decades, reaching over 1 million children live in concert, with hit performances on YTV’s Treehouse, TVO’s Crawlspace, Mr. Dressup, CITY-TV and the CBC.

To reserve a spot for the March 6 pizza party and concert at Kingston Road United Church, please go to http://FreeFamilyShow.eventbrite.ca