Expect to encounter gaggles of Gord-loving listeners during the Nov. 16-18 Orillia Lightfoot Days event, a musical celebration of a hometown troubadour.

“His fans just love him,” said organizer Maggie Best.

The weekend launches on the Friday with an open mic night at the Orillia campus of Georgian College, in The Den, from 5 until 8 p.m.

“Hopefully there are going to be some special guests coming and talking about Gord, telling stories and (singing) songs,” Best said.

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Downtown, on the same evening, the Hog N’ Penny hosts a musical tribute to the voice and mind behind such ageless classics as Sundown, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and If You Could Read My Mind.

Alleycats Music welcomes fans of the singular singer/songwriter the following morning (Nov. 17) for a daylong marathon of Lightfoot-focused music, reminiscences and anecdotes.

Visitors to the store between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. are invited to contribute during an event dubbed "Eighty Stories and Songs About Gordon Lightfoot."

“Anybody can come on stage and talk about what Gordon means to them, and wish him happy birthday,” said owner Mike Rothwell, adding the event will be live-streamed on the record shop’s Facebook page.

Those who are musically inclined can perform a tune, while others may pursue less orthodox avenues to demonstrate appreciation for the legendary octogenarian.

“I don’t think there will be too much Gordon Lightfoot interpretive dance, but you never know,” joked Rothwell, who as a youth growing up in Kitchener learned of Lightfoot’s connection to Orillia while listening to his music on the radio during family trips.