Music fest gets nod for late closing, alcohol sales

Brandon City Council has given the green light to the Salamander Summer Music Festival to rock on later into the night and to serve alcohol.

The community-event designation allows music to be played until 11 p.m. on the Friday and Saturday during the festival.

The fourth edition of the festival is slated for July 17-19 at Rideau Park.

“It gets dark so late in the summer, then if we were to shut down early, you wouldn’t get that evening festival atmosphere,” organizer Jenn Watson said in an interview on Tuesday.

Watson made the request at last week’s council meeting. It was approved unanimously.

“It’s a critical step in the planning of our festival every year,” she said.

Watson said the later closing times on the festival’s first two days also allows for more artists to perform.

The alcohol sales have boosted attendance in the past, she said.

“A lot more people showed up when they were able to get a drink and enjoy it while they were enjoying the music.”

Last year, the festival showcased 21 artists, headlined by Winnipeg-based rock band The Haileys.

This year’s festival has seen a record number of applicants — nearly 200 — from across the country and a few from the United States, Watson said.

“There’s been great growth, the word of mouth spreading in the musician community about what a great festival we are and that people really want to play our stage,” she said.

“For me, it’s such a huge compliment. I think that’s really important — that the artists view it as something that they want to do, and then that means that the crowds are going to get the best possible performances and hear the best music they can.”

There will be a focus again this year on Manitoban artists.

Watson said festival attendance has grown by 10 per cent every year, with increasing interest among vendors, including food tents and food trucks.

She said organizers always try to keep things on time, treat artists well and pay them before they leave, which has led to positive word of mouth among performers.

It’s also a good venue for up-and-coming artists, she said, as they don’t always have a place to perform.

“If you’re going to get your music out there and get exposure to people, you have to have a stage to play it from, so we like to play a part in that musical journey for people, too,” Watson added.

Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett said after last week’s meeting that the festival is “a good community event” and that it makes sense for council to support the organization by approving the community-event designation.

He said the designation is common for a variety of events around the city.

Watson said the lineup for this year’s festival will be announced around the May long weekend and that she’s “very excited” about some of the headline artists.

The festival schedule is from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, documents attached to a council agenda show.

Tickets for the festival are on sale and can be purchased at salamanderfest.ca.

» alambert@brandonsun.com