Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/970533
2 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, SATURDAY APRIL 21, 2018 W E S T M A N Clockwise from top: Manitoba's own rock superstar Burton Cummings, Snake Oil, Chilliwack, Three Days Grace, Kim Mitchell and Trooper. This year's event will run Aug. 3-5 and the list of performers will include headliner Kim Mitchell, Trooper, Chilliwack, Three Days Grace, Winnipeg-born rocker Burton Cummings and many more. GLADSTONE BAKERY & EATERY Delicious breads, cinnamon buns, donuts & pastries baked fresh daily! Hearty soups, sandwiches, wraps & salads! FRESH HOMEMADE GOODNESS! 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Minnedosa Keeps on Rockin' Classic rock fest marks 15th year in 2018 BY JIM TIMLICK M innedosa will be rockin' once again this summer. For the 15th consecutive year, the southwestern Manitoba town, located about 200 kilometres west of Winnipeg, will host the Rockin' the Fields of Minnedosa classic rock festival. MINNEDOSA This year's event will run Aug. 3-5 and the list of perform- ers will include headliner Kim Mitchell, Trooper, Chilliwack, Three Days Grace, Winnipeg- born rocker Burton Cummings and many more. The festival has grown from a small gathering of about 300 local fans in its first year to more than 9,000 classic rock enthusi- asts from across the country — and even from as far away as Australia in the past few years. While organizers have worked hard at promoting the summer fest, they attribute the growth in attendance largely to word of mouth. "It's a good group of people that comes out every year. Once they come out they tell their friends and then they come out the next year," says Brian Wenham, a longtime festival volunteer who is in his second year as president of its board of directors. "I often refer to it as kind of a family reunion. You see a lot of the same people each year." The festival site overlooks Lake Minnedosa and features an amphitheatre, two sec- ondary stages, vendors, and camping, with running water and showers. The main draw, though, is the music. Past acts have included the likes of Saga, Finger Eleven, Doucette, Lover- boy, Colin James, Tea Party and Harlequin. So how does a small town of about 2,500 people manage to draw such big names? Wen- ham says it's all about treating people right. "One of the things we do is to make sure we treat all of the art- ists well and that they're taken care of 100 per cent," he says. "Safwan (Javed) of Wide Mouth Mason said our festival should be the blueprint on how to run a festival. He said everyone has a good time and is treated so well when they're here." Minnedosa has been classic rock country for some time. Prior to Rockin' the Fields, it played host to several other rock fests, including Classic Rock Weekend, Little River Rockfest and Shakin' the Lake, most of which lasted for only a summer or two. The difference with Rockin' the Fields is that it is entirely volunteer run and much of the money it generates is channeled back into the festival itself. The rest of the proceeds – some $400,000 to date – are donated to community-based groups such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club and the Minnedosa Golf & Country Club. The real key to the festival's success, Wenham says, has been the support of its dedicated crew of volunteers. Each year, it attracts more than 200 help- ers who do everything from sell tickets and tend bar to set up the stages and prepare the festi- val grounds beginning in April. "I don't think we've ever had a problem getting vol- unteers. Their support is ex- tremely critical. Without them we wouldn't be here today. If we had to pay all of them an hourly wage I don't think we'd have enough money to even buy a case of beer at the end of things," he laughs. ■