Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/730581
"It's the only major country music festival in the
country that's not-for-profit — the largest festival for
a community of its size in the country, and it makes a
$10-million economic impact contribution to the com-
munity every year," says Countryfest board president
and Dauphin Mayor Eric Irwin.
The longest-running festival of its kind in Canada,
Dauphin's Countryfest is also the largest outdoor
camping festival in Manitoba, accommodating up to
14,000 people per day.
The festival is run by a volunteer board of directors
and three staff. It has sold out in 15 of its 26 years,
and Irwin has been there from the start.
About $3 million has been invested into the festival
site, which includes a permanent roof ($800,000) over
the amphitheatre stage, significant improvements to
the campgrounds, a new upper stage to replace the
old hilltop stage, added showers and washrooms,
vending sites, concessions and other needed facilities.
The festival has made substantial financial contribu-
tions back into the community by funding the hockey
arena, a splash park and a skate park as well as other
facilities. But Irwin says the crowning achievement
has been the Countryfest Community Cinema, which
replaced the old movie theatre after it burned down
around 2000.
"It was an old, one-horse theatre, and people in
the community wanted a decent movie theatre so
Countryfest donated the first $400,000 in order to get
a new $5 million state-of-the-art multiplex, first-run,
four-screen, 3D movie theatre," he says.
The festival also hires a long list of community
groups whose volunteers provide all the services to
the festival.
"Every time we have another need to provide for —
for example, someone to sit up at the campground
showers and collect money — if a day care group
wants to fundraise, they'll contract with us over the
weekend to collect money for us and we'll give them
a cheque," he says.
"There's about another $150,000 each year that
goes into the community through contributions to all
of these service clubs and organizations."
Dauphin has one of the best junior high and high
school band programs in the province and it too is
supported by Countryfest.
"I just came from a Canadian Country Music As-
sociation event where the president of the CCMA
was bragging about being at a school that morning to
support a charity called MusiCares and they were able
to donate $10,000 for band equipment — and this
represents all of country music in Canada — to one
school in London Ontario," Irwin says.
"In Dauphin, we donate at least $15,000 every year
to our schools and have for 25 years. "
The festival provides top-notch facilities and books
an impressive line-up for fans who flock to the site
each summer.
"We hire 50 to 60 bands every year with three
stages going all of the time," he says.
The list includes local bands from western Mani-
toba and major acts from Canada and the U.S., such
as Aaron Pritchett, Charlie Major, Corb Lund, Miranda
Lambert, Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban.
"Blake Shelton might be on The Voice but he's
visited us twice and not many towns can say that,"
says Irwin.
The CMA nominates five finalists for country music
event of the year and Dauphin has been nominated
every year for 25 years. Irwin says the night-time
amphitheatre performances are like a full-on arena
rock show.
"The excitement in the crowd and the sound in the
amphitheatre is loud and the crowd is right into it,"
he says.
"It makes the hairs stand up on the back of your
neck — it's just so exciting and people love it."
The 2016 headliners included Canadians Dean
Brody and Dallas Smith, Thomas West, Lady Ante-
bellum, Dwight Yoakum and Merle Haggard's sons,
who did a tribute to the late singer.
Canada's 150th birthday falls on the Saturday of the
2017 festival and special plans are underway to mark
the occasion in a big way.
"We've already been in talks with a great Can-
adian artist who is really going to fit the bill as far as
celebrating Canada, and we are in the final stages of
negotiating a deal with an A-list artist from Nashville
and we'll make those announcement in due course."
Irwin says the festival helps to make Dauphin a rare
and special place.
"It really brings people together," he says.
"Most people in town support it one way or another
with businesses as sponsors and people signed up to
volunteer, and they just enjoy doing it."
BY WENDY KING
Photos courtesy of Dauphin's
Countryfest and Countryfest
Community Cinema
E
very community
would love to
have the finances
available to fund the
things that enrich the
lives of its citizens —
and do it in a way that
brings people together.
Dauphin's Countryfest,
inaugurated in 1990,
is a community-based
country music festival
that does just that.
The festival has
made substantial
financial
contributions
back into the
community by
funding the
hockey arena, a
splash park and a
skate park as well
as other facilities.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2016 3
D A U P H I N
"In Dauphin, we donate at
least $15,000 every year to our
schools and have for 25 years."
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