August 22, 23, and 24 at the Heritage Home for the Arts and Ag Grounds

BY KIM LANGEN

A host of fab musicians and performers, workshops, food trucks, and even free camping, are all part of this year’s upcoming three-day Killarney Lakeside Festival.

“We have the incredible Dust Rhinos coming back, for our last act on Saturday night,” said Giselle Beaupre, arts administrator at the Heritage Home for the Arts. “It will be a fantastic Celtic party night with them, and their Irish rock/folk music. Mama Sol James will open on Friday night, August 22, at 6 p.m. with her wonderful folk music, and she will also emcee the weekend event. We have had her here before, and it was was a sell-out concert.”

The big event is taking place on both the Heritage Home for the Arts site, and the adjoining Ag Grounds next door. The Westoba Stage, which is parked up just behind their Agricultural Display Building, will be the festival’s main stage, and was recently set up with new lights and electrics for the these kinds of shows, said Beaupre.

“We will also have free camping available, on the land that is in front of the Heritage Home for the Arts, and is part of the ag grounds,” she said. “It will be free, but it is No Footprint Camping, which means there are no services. It will be like being back in the 1960s. But there are washrooms available across the road at Erin Park, and we will have food trucks set up on the entrance lane into the Ag Grounds, all open to the public. There will be Green’s Dog House, Big City Bites, and we are hoping to get Bailey’s Coffee in too.”

Friday night performers on the Westoba Stage also include Julianna Moore (6 p.m.), and Midlife Crisis partying it up at 9 p.m. Between the acts will also be some in-between entertainment – with what they are calling ‘Tweeners,’ said Beaupre. 

And they are looking for hidden talent to shine a light on.

“We are still looking for more beginner musicians to put into these slots,” she said. “People can perform two or three songs; they can be originals or covers, and it’s basically a way to have some exposure, and have some fun! If you want to be a Tweener on the Friday or the Saturday, get in touch with us at 204-554-0023, or email us at ktmartscounci@gmail.com.”

Other attractions include country musician Quinton Blair and his band, the Janzen Boys, The Spectacles, and Bobby Dove. Plus there will be a great artisan market (on Saturday afternoon), a beer garden, both a line dancing and a two-stepping workshop, and an Open Mic. 

There is also a brunch on Sunday at 11 a.m., followed by a Youth Camp Presentation on Sunday, and winding up with a great duo performance featuring Beppie and Mandy Faye.

Weekend passes are $75 for adults, and $45 for youth. Those aged nine years and under get in free.  A single day festival ticket price will be announced soon.

Tickets are available at the Heritage Home for the Arts, Lewis and Jones, and through
eventbrite.ca. 

KILLARNEY LAKESIDE FESTIVAL COMING SOON – The arts centre grounds are looking beautiful, and the old bandwagon is perfectly spruced up, in readiness for the Killarney Lakeside Festival coming up on August 22, 23, and 24. Arts administrator Giselle Beaupre (above) said the musical line-up for the three-day event is a cracker, and tickets are on sale now at the art gallery, Lewis and Jones, and through Eventbrite.ca.

RHINOS RETURN – The powerhouse Dust Rhinos (seen here rocking the Sights & Sounds stage in 2022) are returning to town for the upcoming Killarney Lakeside Festival. The charged Celtic rock band played at the Sights & Sounds Festival in 2022, then again at the Heritage Home for the Arts for a concert in 2023, and will close the upcoming Saturday night, August 23 show with a bang. It’s been a two-year hiatus without a music festival like this, and now it’s back, with a new name and logo.

Local band T.H.E. (above) took the stage in 2022, and they’ll be back to help kick off the festival on the Friday, along with Friday night headliners Midlife Crisis. Bobby Dove (below) will also be back at this year’s Killarney Lakeside Festival. Traditional folk country is Bobby Dove’s bread and butter, and the crowd ate it up at Sights & Sounds in 2022.