Its time to dust off your cowboy boots and get ready for some toe-tapping fun at the Kooteany Country Music Festival.
The family-friendly event will be taking place at the Pass Creek Exhibition Grounds in Castlegar July 6-8.
Last year the event saw an attendance of about 1,000 people each day and this year promises to be even bigger.
Country music strikes chord in Castlegar
The event features a busy line-up of headliners and supporting acts including Brett Kissel, Washboard Union, Emerson Drive, Dan Davidson, Lion Bear Fox, The Chris Buck Band, Karen Lee Batten, Me and Mae, Lauren Mayell, Mosquito Creek, Beamer Wigley and local star Lisa Nicole who will be performing July 6 at 5:30 p.m. and emceeing the event.
Kootenay Country Music Festival announces headliners
Even if you are not a country music fan event promoter Travis Pangburn says to come out anyway, “You are going to have a huge appreciation of the entertainment value — just the abilities these musicians have. We are selling an experience here … artistic inspiration can come from the places you don’t necessarily expect them to come from.”
Off-stage activities include a kids zone that Panburn says is “basically a bouncy castle kingdom”, side-by-side four-wheeler rides, food and beverage vendors, a mechanical bull, a watercraft display and a horseshoe tournament.
Keeping the event appropriate for the whole family is a priority with Pangburn, who grew up attending the Kaslo Jazz Festival. In fact, admission for kids 12 and under is free when accompanied by a paying adult.
“Inspiring kids with artistic inspirations is really important to me,” said Pangburn. “These are the times when kids can really be inspired in the right way to do great things with art — getting that emotional charge from being at a concert and seeing an artist work on stage.”
Castlegar school children in grades K-7 will be receiving free festival water bottles next week.
“We wanted to spread the word about the festival and promote staying hydrated in the summer,” said Pangburn. “Also cutting down on our throw-away plastic bottles.”
Pangburn has plans to continue to expand the event in the future but wants to make sure there is a solid core of local support first. This year’s event will continue with the same type of high-caliber stage and equipment as last year — the same type of equipment used at major outdoor festivals in big cities.
“I want to have state-of-the-art equipment for these festivals so the people of the Kootenays can have access and be entertained by state-of-the-art equipment and acts,” said Pangburn.
Tickets and full details about the event are available at kootenaycountryfest.com.
A campground will be set up near the Doukhobor Discovery Centre, including shuttle service between the site and the event. Information can be found on the event web site.
