The weather outside may have been unpleasant, but that didn’t keep people away from the 20th Annual East Coulee SpringFest.
Musicians and music lovers alike braved the elements to support the East Coulee School Museum's annual fundraiser May 2nd and 3rd.
“The weather was probably a factor that actually helped us because people couldn’t be somewhere else,” said SpringFest Coordinator Barb Steeves. “ That was actually a bonus.”
Steeves said numbers seem to be on par with last year’s attendance.
“It’s been really good. Friday night was a booming success, and today (Saturday) seems quite busy.”
Steeves said SpringFest had to field a few phone calls with people worried there was a lot of snow in East Coulee, especially Calgarians, because of all the snow in the city.
The planned outdoor workshops for the musicians had to be scrapped because of the cold weather, but Steeves said the musicians were great about it, and seemed to really be enjoying themselves.
Caroline Jepson-McLeod agrees. The newlywed of two months accompanied singer-songwriter husband John McLeod to her first East Coulee Springfest. “I love it, it’s very different,” she said. “It’s fun. Great musicians, I’ve had a great time.” Jepson-McLeod said she was looking forward to the musicians’ jam Saturday night at the East Coulee Hotel.
Jolanda Willie travelled from Red Deer to perform at her first East Coulee SpringFest, singing classical soprano to both traditional and original background music. She heard about SpringFest last year through a friend of her parents who’d been coming to SpringFest for 14 years. Asked what she was looking forward to about SpringFest, she said “Everything. Just all the different styles of music, different artists, different sounds - the artristy.”
Springfest had 49 groups playing the East Coulee Hotel and Tavern, the community Hall, and two rooms in the East Coulee School museum, all in support of fundraising for the operation and maintenance of the East Coulee School Museum.
Steeves said organizers have a few things in mind to tweak for next year, but they think everything’s gone fairly smoothly, saying she hopes that everybody has a great time.
“SpringFest is all about selling happiness.”