'It's like family': South Country Fair kicks off 37th year
The musicians are back and campers are ready for the 37th South Country Fair.
The event started back in 1987 and, since then, has only had two years without a festival due to the pandemic but still held online events those years.
It features live music, an artisan market, food trucks and fun for the whole family.
"So you will see acts from as far away as Spain, Mexico City, Mongolia and as close as Lethbridge and kind of everywhere in between," said Gillian Moranz, South Country Fair's artistic director, who's been attending the festival since before she was one.
The popular, long-running folk music festival is entirely volunteer-run with more than 300 people working hard to make the weekend possible.
"All the volunteers are super keen and, even in this heat, they were coming into the hospitality tent at eight in the morning to get their jobs, asking, 'What can we do to help, what can we do to help?'" said April Hutchinson, South Country Fair's volunteer co-ordinator.
Some festival-goers showed up two days ago to set up camp, while most arrived Friday.
Some festival-goers showed up two days ago to set up camp, while most arrived Friday.
Many have been coming for decades.
"Just the feeling when you come here, the friendship, the love, the music, the energy -- you just can't really explain it," said Norman Blais, who's back for the 11th time.
"South Country Fair has been a really important part of my life and I did not expect that when I first started but I'm very happy that I've been able to come along for the ride," said 30-year attendee Laurie Blakeman.
"It's like family, it really is," said Mark Sadlier-Brown, who's been coming to South Country Fair for more than 25 years.
"It's not like a big, impersonal fair, it's home."
Mark Sadlier-Brown has been coming to South Country Fair for more than 25 years.
However, organizers say next year's festival will have a new home.
Exactly where that will be is yet to be announced.
"We have been here for 25 years and we've been operating for 37, so change is really healthy, it's really important." Moranz told CTV News.
"This is something that's been talked about for over 10 years, maybe 15, and it just felt like it was time."
Attendees say they've enjoyed the spot they're at, but look forward to what the future holds.
"It's part of our summer, so it will be sad to miss this location but I'm really excited for what's coming next because I think what's coming next will be bigger and better," said Maxine Henry, the fair’s medical director and an attendee for the past 19 years.
Opening ceremonies start at 6 p.m. Friday and the fair runs through the weekend until 6 p.m. Sunday.
Day and weekend passes are still available and you can purchase them at the gate.
Some festival-goers showed up two days ago to set up camp, while most arrived Friday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Plane overshoots runway at airport in St. John's, N.L., no injuries reported
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada are headed to St. John's, N.L., after a plane overshot a runway at the city's airport this afternoon.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
The remains belonged to three adults, a teenager and a newborn baby, according to a statement from the Latebra Foundation, a historical organization based in the Polish city of Gdansk, published Thursday.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.