Rock ’n’ roll festival eyes big return for Minnedosa
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/04/2022 (1371 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Vaughan Boles has waited two years to welcome back legions of Westman rock music fans to Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa for a jam-packed three-day festival of bands.
That wait may soon come to a close as event organizers have July 29-31 booked for the community. Boles, the secretary of the board for the non-profit co-operative, said their two-year absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been the hardest thing he has had to accept during his time co-ordinating the festival each year since 2004.
“I can’t even put it into words how good it feels to be able to have it back this summer,” Boles said.
“A lot of us involved have been there right from the beginning. I was one of the original directors, and we’ve put our heart and soul into this project. We absolutely love what we do and how it supports the community and reaches out to so many people.”
Prior to the pandemic, there had been some phenomenal growth in the festival over the last few years.
On Friday, July 29, Jack Russell’s Great White, Foghat, Mark Farner’s American Band and Nazareth are scheduled to perform on the Club Regent Casino & Event Centre Main Stage.
A Battle of the Bands lineup will take over the main stage on July 30. Finger Eleven, Big Wreck and Our Lady Peace — who Boles said this is the third time event organizers have tried to recruit — will also be at the show.
Our Lady Peace got to perform only two songs prior to a thunderstorm that took place at their only appearance at the festival.
July 31 will include Canadian content with Streetheart, Chilliwack, Honeymoon Suite and Loverboy.
In addition to each act taking the main stage, the Co-op Hilltop Stage will feature its own headliners at the festival including Helix on July 29, Toque on July 30 and Winnipeg’s own Harlequin on July 31.
In March, the volunteer board lost a significant member of its community — board president Alan Logan, who unexpectedly died. Joining the board as president in 2018, Logan, a former Souris resident, was described as a fearless leader, friend and director of the event.
“So much of our success can be attributed to him and rested on his shoulders,” Boles said.
“He was an amazing person and lived and breathed this festival. It’s a hard loss for us to deal with.”
Minnedosa businesses, service clubs and people from the community have really stepped up to make sure the festival runs according to plan in the wake of Logan’s passing, Boles said.
“It shows that people anywhere can do pretty much anything if they put their mind to it and have the desire to make a difference.”
On May 28, the festival will host a Par 3 golf tournament at Minnedosa Golf & Country Club as a fundraiser to collect money to make sure the event stays in good shape financially for years ahead. Registration for past participants opens May 2 and is open to the public on May 14, through the rock festival’s Facebook page.
Boles said due to popular demand, campsites at the festival are starting to get scarce. They may consider opening additional space for attendees and families for the July weekend.
Over his 18 years of looking after the festival, Boles, a past-president of the event, said there are two things that have always grabbed his attention in being able to grow a music show of this magnitude.
He said first and foremost, being able to give Minnedosa and the surrounding communities an economic boost in the leadup to the festival and during the event is a great feeling.
“Seeing the fans, seeing people that you haven’t seen for a year, in this case many years, and the enjoyment it brings to so many people to have a weekend of fun.
“Especially this coming summer, it should be quite the memorable event for everybody.”
Secondly, he explained how the site of the festival makes for a magical display of sound every year.
“It’s a natural bowl with a backdrop of beautiful trees and of course the lake right there.
“When you’re up in the campgrounds, the views of the surrounding areas are incredible. I don’t think there’s too many places in this country that can say there’s a better location for a concert like this.”
For more information on ticket prices and camping availability, visit rockinthefields.ca.
» jbernacki@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @JosephBernacki