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CANADIAN INDUSTRY ONLINE - JULY 2012
zations. The Dauphin Air Cadetsraise
funds by handling clean-up and recy-
cling detail (last year, the festival’s on-
site facility cleared 10 tons of material),
while wristband and beverage services
are provided by local Lions, Rotary
and Kinsmen Club members.
“It really fuels the economy, and
civil society as a whole,” Irwin says,
noting Countryfest has been recog-
nized with honours for tourism and
economic development, and was re-
cently named one of Where Maga-
zine’s Top 10 music festivals in Cana-
da.
Irwin says the popularity and
longevity can be attributed to the
perks and creature comforts provided
to attendees and performers alike. For
the fans, there’s a weekend’s worth of
ancillary activities like mechanical bull
riding, daily poker games and lady
lumberjack contests. For the talent,
there’s the adoration of thousands of
their most ardent supporters.
“A lot of these festivals are on
great big flat pieces of ground, where
there’s really no interaction between
performers and the crowd at all,” Ir-
win says. “But in our amphitheatre,
when you’re down on stage, it’s re-
ally like a big indoor rock show. You
can feel the waves of applause coming
down from the crowd.
“It’s exciting for the artists, and
it’s a really fun, relaxed atmosphere
for everyone else …. It’s basically like
Christmas in the summertime.”
This year, Countryfest runs from
June 28 to July 1.
“It’s exciting for the artists, and it’s
a really fun, relaxed atmosphere for
everyone else …. It’s basically like
Christmas in the summertime.”
MANITOBA SHINES