SpringFest hosting myriad of performers
“We have every single genre except rap and heavy metal, but if we found a metal act with a fiddle and a banjo we’d accept them too,” laughs Brent Nolan, president of the Dinosaur Valley Heritage Society and one of two organizers who narrowed down the list of 65 band applications. Local bands are made to be sure they have room, but bigger acts who brought the house down last year will return. For nearly two decades, fans in Drumheller and ones from across Alberta will gather in East Coulee for 12 straight hours of music.
Bands from as far away as Toronto are travelling to donate their time and money to the event. Nolan believes it’s the charm of East Coulee and the no-strings-attached music which drives them to put out the effort.
“When you take the money, the lawyers, the waivers out of the equation, it becomes kind of magical,” he said.
Nolan said about half of the festival attendees are from Drumheller, while the other half travels from as far as Edmonton to take in the sights and sounds.
The demographic of previous years has seen people in the ages of 40-50 dominate the crowd, with the 20-30 year olds peaking as well. They are trying to appeal to the younger crowds at this year’s event.
They’ll be conducting geological tours out of the East Coulee School Museum.
This year will bring a revitalization to the East Coulee School Museum in how they operate and programs they’ll offer, Nolan says.
SpringFest, which brought in nearly $12,000 for the museum last year, is instrumental in changing the way the school museum works.
“We’ll be focusing on things we do well, and changing to seasonal operation,” Nolan said, adding they plan to host smaller SummerFest and FallFest events this year.
Nolan said this year SpringFest organizers have not been successful in getting accommodations donated as they have in past years.