Can you dig it? Drumheller is gearing up to celebrate dinosaurs at Drumheller’s DinoFest coming up in just one month.
    From June 7 to 9, every dinosaur hunter young and old is invited to enjoy the second annual DinoFest. It is expected attendance will grow beyond the numbers seen last year.
    “We saw about 5,000 visitors last year who all loved the family atmosphere and plan to return. Many of them camped so it’s safe to say that anyone considering coming should reserve a spot now,” said Mike Dooley, who is helping organize the event.
    So far, a huge lineup of events are planned for the weekend.
    ATB Financial is sponsoring two dinosaur-themed movies on Friday and Saturday at 10 p.m. at the Spray Park. Like last year, a giant outdoor theatre will be set up. Last year, the first two Jurassic Park movies were shown. This year, the identity of the movies is being kept secret.
    The Royal Tyrrell Museum will present Story Time for the kids ages two to five and Science Break for children ages four and older. A palaeontologist from the Tyrrell will be on hand to identify rocks or fossils and attendees can register for a palaeontologist-hosted hike along the river.
    Encana will once again host the Kids Zone, complete with an inflatable bouncy dinosaur house, a 24- foot slide, face painters, and games and crafts.
    The delicious “Taste Of The Valley” returns this year. Ten restaurants from the region will have booths set up with the chance to sample their menus. Local artists, vendors, and farmers will be selling wares as well.
    Live entertainment will be on stage throughout the weekend at the Rotary Spray Park, and will play from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
    The Drumheller Triathlon is scheduled for Saturday morning. Sunday morning there’s the family 5-km fun walk/run. To participate in the 5K go to the DinoFest Info Booth at Spray Park at 9 a.m. on Sunday.
    A pancake breakfast with donations going to the Badlands Community Facility and the Morgan Jayne Project will be held on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
    Organizers are predicting the festival, now in its second year, to keep growing to dinosaur-sized proportions.

    SpringFest begins tonight and the hype is building for the high-calibre talent scheduled to take the stage.
    Alongside powerhouses like Harry Manx and the Kirby Sewell Band are local artists, proud and excited to get the chance to play at SpringFest.
    “One of our mandates is to showcase local artists and up-and-comers,” said Brent Noland, producer of SpringFest.
    Darren Smylie, who was raised in Drumheller, is excited for his first chance to play at SpringFest. He’ll be performing material from his new album, Secondary Succession of Mind.

Darren Smylie makes SpringFest debut with new album, Secondary Succession of Mind.

    “I’ve been going to SpringFest since I was 12-years-old. Now, I’m finally playing. It’s going to be all original music for me. This will be the first time I’ll be doing music from the album I wrote in December,” said Smylie.
    The Drumheller Mail/inSide Drumheller’s very own Devon Syvertsen is one of the local artists who will be making their SpringFest debut this year.

Devon Syvertsen hits the stage at SpringFest with original material.

    “It feels great. I was surprised when I got the call. It’s really neat to finally pursue that dream, I’ve been wanting to be in SpringFest for a long time,” said Syvertsen. “I’m going to take this opportunity to show off my original material. I’ll intersperse a few covers to fill space, which will be songs people probably haven’t really heard around town.”
    Syversten has been recording original material since 2011 and is hoping to release his first album at DinoFest in June.
    This year’s SpringFest will be the re-debut of Drumheller native Noel Spooner, who’s coming off a long hiatus after moving back to Drumheller 13 years ago.
    “We were talking and he (Noland) had a couple guitars lying around, so he asked me to sing a song. I did, and he sat back and said I was hired,” said Spooner. “I’m glad he got me out of my comfort zone.”
    Spooner had a long music career, which took her from Calgary, the Northwest Territories, to Vancouver. She then lived in Grande Prairie briefly and came back to Drumheller after a near death experience with flesh eating disease.
    She’s excited to offer a huge range of music for SpringFest fans.
    “I have my songs picked, but I just have too many to choose from. It’s going to be tough fitting it in an hour. I’ve got some country, some rock, a little blues, and some originals,” said Spooner.
    Other local artists include the Fire Coulee Bandits, Roadside Attraction, Cat Country Cougar Hunters and Courtney Morse, Jessica Nelson, and Allen Rapadas with Alas, the Ocean.
    SpringFest has been picking up momentum over the past few years, with the number of performers wishing to play for the festival growing.
    “It’s fan-freakin-tastic! The lineup this year, like every year, just gets better. I had 95 applications for 44 slots. We had to shut down the applications a month early. I already have received an application for 2014,” said Noland.
    The musicians volunteer their time and all proceeds go towards maintaining and improving the East Coulee School Museum.
    “The musicians are volunteering their craft. They’re spending their own gas money, so we’re incredibly grateful to them. It’s really humbling,” said Noland.
    SpringFest begins on Friday, May 10 and lasts until Saturday, May 12.