The Red Hot Hayseeds join the 2023 South Country Fair line-up.
For close to four decades people have gathered in Fort Macleod for a weekend of music near the banks of the Oldman River.
The South Country Fair tradition continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 21-23 at Fort Macleod Fish and Game Park.
“We are always looking to build a line-up that is diverse, eclectic, and representative of many different cultural and artistic backgrounds,” artistic director Gillian Moranz said. “I like to make sure I book to appeal to the tastes of our audiences while also providing attendees the opportunity to experience something new and expand their musical and cultural horizons.”
The 2023 South Country Fair line-up delivers on the promise of being diverse and eclectic.
Moranz said it is her responsibility to make the audience comfortable while also booking acts that will allow people to experience something new.
“The end goal is always a well-rounded line-up with a little something for everyone and a few wild cards thrown in for good measure,” Moranz said.
Of particular note this year is the group BuenRostro from Mexico City, Wendy McNeill from Valencia, Spain and returning act Namgar from Mongolia.
“I am so humbled by the international acts we are able to bring to our tiny little southern Alberta town, and the cultural and musical roots that they bring with them are an invaluable experience for many,” Moranz said.
The South Country Fair line-up is scheduled carefully to ensure one act flows into another, each one setting the crowd up for what comes next.
“It’s kind of like an intricate painting,” Moranz said. “You have to step back and look at the picture as a whole to decide if one little section is serving the entire piece. Some acts are a no-brainer when it comes to the best slot for them, while others are a bit more malleable with their placement.”
Performances following opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Friday, include Sandra Lamouche and Lowell Yellowhorn, Doghouse Orchestra, BuenRostro, Circus Act Insomniacs, songwriting contest champion Chris Ryan Drew, The Lovebullies, Red Hot Hayseeds, Namgar, L’omelette and Skinny Dyck.
Performers on Saturday include Badlands, Wyatt C. Louis, Gigi Em, Wendy McNeill, Ellen Froese, Shaela Miller, Atomicos, BuenRostro, The Torchettes and Doghouse Orchestra.
Performing Sunday are Bobby Dove, Atomicos, The Torchettes, Wendy McNeill, Namgar, Skinny Dyck, Wyatt C. Louis, Moranz and Fremlin and Sandra Lamouche and Lowell Yellowhorn.
“It’s a big game of shuffling and adjusting until, all of the sudden, it clicks and each act has found its ideal slot in harmony with everything that happens around it,” Moranz said.
South Country Fair also features activities for children, wellness sessions such as meditation and yoga, a ukulele workshop, watercolour painting and puppetry.
As part of South Country Fair, Stronghold Brewing Co. will host performances by Andrew Scott and Badlands on Friday and the Sadlier-Brown Duo and Steven Foord on Saturday.
It is through the hard work of many people that South Country Fair — one of the last volunteer-run festivals of is size — happens each year.
Close to 400 volunteers take on duties to ensure the event runs smoothly and that visitors have a safe, enjoyable time.
“I think, in many ways, it is a connection to a community that is incredibly open and accepting of difference,” Moranz said of the support South Country Fair has enjoyed for 37 years. “Our volunteer community cuts through so many cross-sections of society that may not always meld in day-to-day life, but coming together with a common goal makes those divides so much less defining, and people are able to find a sense of community within a space of great diversity.”
This is the final year of South Country Fair as a weekend camping festival.
Moranz said after 37 years, the last 25 of which have been at Fort Macleod Fish and Game Park, it is necessary for South Country Fair to evolve.
“There is no doubt it will be an emotional weekend for a lot of our hardcore attendees, volunteers, and co-ordinators — but emotional in a good way, I think,” Moranz said. “We are truly focusing on the positive nature of change, and that these feelings of melancholy will give way to collective enthusiasm on the brink of an exciting new era.”
Plans for next year and beyond have not been announced but Moranz said there is excitement among South Country Fair organizers and supporters to move the festival into the future.
“The initiation of this shift has been tricky and full of emotions, but we know that making this decision is what will allow us to keep the festival going with no end in sight,” Moranz said. “It may take us a little bit to work out the kinks of the next shape SCF will take, but if there is one thing we have learned from nearly four decades of doing what we do it is that you have to pay attention to the signs.”
“No matter what, we will continue to create space for our community to gather and experience live music and culturally rooted performance, and that, at the end of the day, is all that matters.”
Weekend passes are still available at www.southcountryfair.com, and weekend and day passes will be available at the gate throughout the festival.
