There are few sure signs of spring in the valley; crocuses, the Town Clean-up and beautiful music resonating from East Coulee.
The East Coulee SpringFest has been bringing music to the valley since 1994. The little festival that could has grown into a Drumheller icon and is an important fundraiser for the East Coulee School Museum.
“The money from SpringFest goes to maintaining and operating the museum through the winter,” said executive director Barb Steeves. “It basically keeps us operating.”
The festival promises a weekend of great music with stellar artists from near and far. They have a line-up of more than 40 groups on four stages.
Steeves explains this year they do not have the East Coulee Hotel as a venue, but they are making it work.
“We’ve opened up the classroom in the school, another small venue, it doesn’t quite make up for the hotel, but it will be good,” she said.
Some of the local acts include stalwarts Dooley Noted, Joe Vickers and the Sharecroppers, Layne Syvertsen, Roadside Attraction and Wayfaring Fiddlers, to name a few.
Headlining the show this year is the Kirby Sewell Band, who will be closing out Friday night at 9:30 p.m. at the Community Hall and is back on stage Saturday at 4 p.m. Also retuning for another year is Celtic Fusion Illusion, Joal Kamps and Shadoplay.
Steeves said there were over 110 applications from artists to play at the show.
“This was the most applications we’ve ever had… and everybody is donating their time, it’s what makes it sit unique.”
Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 8 and run until 11 p.m. The show cranks up again at noon on Saturday, May 9 and continues into the night.
Tickets are available at www.ecsmuseum.ca and locally at Riverside Value Drug Mart and Shoppers Drug Mart.
