The eighth annual Gateway Festival was recently held in the town of Bengough. This year's talent included Canadian rock band Big Wreck and country star George Canyon as well as a number of other performers, such as Jordan Cook, Hey Romeo, the Jen Lane Band, Leela Gilday, OKA, Old Man Luedecke, George Leach and Weyburn's own, Uncut.
"We try to get an all-around view of the music," said event co-creator and Bengough Municipal Arts Council president, Connie Frisk. "We had a little bit of everything, which was very nice."
This year's festival was held from July 27 to 29. There were also plenty of vendors selling wares, including non-profit artisans, as well as a variety of food from steak to veggie burgers, nachos to cotton candy. The festival is a family event, so each year children accompanied by adults are also given the royal treatment with free admission, a bouncy castle, water castle and spray park, mini-train rides, face-painting, balloon animals and street performers. Even dogs are welcome in the park.
Bengough is a town of approximately 350 people, but at festival time, its population exponentiates. The event is held at the Bengough Regional Park, which expands its campgrounds to accommodate extra campers. Some music lovers will even find places to pitch a tent just about anywhere in town, to be part of the all-ages audience of 1,400.
In 2003, the event began as a 'Party in the Park' and featured only one artist, Corb Lund. The very next year, it became known as the first annual Gateway festival, which included two concerts and a community sing-along. It has grown each year since.
Frisk said that every year they seem to get about the same number of attendees and that she is surprised more people don't come out to enjoy the big name artists.
"We put on something like this, that is as big as this and we don't seem to be able to get the people to really come out and support it," said Frisk. "In fact once people get here they realize that it's a big thing. It's not just a small festival."
The town of Bengough is literally the gateway to the Big Muddy Valley and the beautifully scenic drive is worthwhile at any time of the year. The valley itself is breath-taking and the town of Bengough is filled with good-natured people who show their support for the arts and culture in a very unique and real way.
To say the town devotes itself to the festival would be putting it mildly. The music can be heard from all corners of Bengough. The Gateway Festival is no amateur show. The professional production and Canadian-made rented stages are top-notch, sure to make one's ear drums melt if standing too close to the speakers.
For those who prefer to keep their distance from the loudness, there is plenty of space within the regional park to accommodate lawn chairs, strollers, outhouses and, of course, beer gardens.
The festival sets up three stages each year, one for the headliners, one in the beer gardens and one for shade-lovers. Various artists perform at various times and, Frisk stated, the scheduling was part of a learning curve throughout the past eight years of the festival.
"We just got bigger," she said.
The Gateway Festival is set up as a non-profit organization that accesses public grants and all monies earned go back into the next festival.
"We've also had some wonderful sponsors on board," said Frisk. "They are very generous with us."
Weyburn youths Braydon Roberts and Garrett Hoffart were just two of the more than 270 volunteers who help out with all aspects of the festival. In fact, musician Jordan Cook told Frisk that Roberts, her grandson, was particularly helpful to him backstage.
Last year, Canadian chart-topping band Big Sugar was unable to perform due to a wind storm.
"The curtains were flying at a ninety degree angle from the stage," she said. "It was nothing to fool around with. It's better to be safe."
Big Sugar has, however, asked if they can come back another year, so perhaps patrons can look forward to their return to the festival.
Frisk said that the plans for next year are already in the works and that the numerous volunteers are busily tasking to organize the ninth annual Gateway Festival.
"We have just had a lot of support, from everybody in the town. A lot of people go out of their way to give us a hand," said Frisk. "They really enjoy it. It's addictive, let's put it that way."
The event and its volunteers are truly to be celebrated for all the hard work that goes into its planning and execution and, above all else, for its genuine love of music and support of arts and culture in the prairies.
