Impressive lineup for Wide Skies
The Wide Skies Music and Arts Festival returns to downtown Lethbridge July 30-Aug. 1 for three nights of music, dance, artistic expression and fun.
This year’s festival will feature some of Canada’s best known folk music acts, including the stellar and ever-popular Little Miss Higgins, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer, the Weber Brothers, blues and R&B powerhouse vocalist Shakura S’aida, Seattle indie rock collective The Cave Singers, as well as festival co-headliners Frazey Ford and Shovels and Rope.
Getting Shovels and Rope to come to Lethbridge in particular, puts an exclamation mark on this year’s festival, says festival director Mike Spencer.
“That one we consider the really big coup,” he says. “If I can say we have one big headliner for the festival it is them. They are a duo from South Carolina, Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst. They are two extremely talented musicians who will be playing the main stage at the Calgary Folk Festival, and have agreed to stay in Alberta an extra night to play our event. They will be a really big impact act. They are something special.”
Spencer was equally confident the other performers will provide a lot of musical oomph for festivalgoers’ dollars this year.
“These acts may not be household names, but these are highly talented performers we are bringing in.”
The free street festival night on July 31 will also feature several prominent local acts performing alongside the festival’s more marquis names. Local honky tonk music legend Ryan “Skinny” Dyck and his Chicken Catchers will be curating the small stage event for the street festival night.
While festival passes go for a reasonable $90 if purchased before June 15, those wishing to take in the two paid performances on the July 30 and Aug. 1 at Southminster United Church can choose to pay $60 and $50 per ticket respectively instead. Spencer, however, is hoping many will consider buying the festival pass to help create the foundation for a sustainable event going forward.
“We had 1,100 people last year and there’s potential for maybe up to 1,500 this year,” he says. “We really want more people to come. I would encourage people to buy a festival pass because that will help the festival become more sustainable year after year. People really need to have this kind of opportunity more often in Lethbridge. In a three-day period we are putting 10 or 12 really amazing acts together which should have a big wow factor.”
For more information on the Wide Skies Music and Arts Festival, or to purchase tickets, visit