By Stephanie Froese

Bluegrass, Old Tyme music festival to attract next generation

Aug 18, 2011 | 11:42 AM

The folksy and traditional styles of Bluegrass music seem to be appealing to more youth today.

“A lot of young people are really getting into their style of music,” said Jennifer Bork, a board member with the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Society Inc.

Bork said this weekend’s bluegrass festival at the Ness Creek camping and festival site will feature “Tweeners”.

“(They) are local and emerging artists that we feature that will play in-between the main stage acts and there is quite a number of those playing,” Bork said.

A youth showcase will also take place Saturday afternoon at 3:30, which includes local names like Bartlett Ave, Meika & Zoe, KES Trio, Prairie Thunder and Scott Cornelius.

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Throughout the weekend there are about eight main acts as well as some smaller ones that will play throughout the festival.

“One of our main headliners is David Davis and the Warrior River Boys from Alabama. We also have Dehlia Low coming in from North Carolina and the Foggy Hogtown Boys coming in from Ontario,” Bork said.

“In addition to the bands coming from a far we have bands coming in from our local Saskatchewan music scene as well.”

The festival officially starts on Friday night at 5:30 and goes until 5:30 Sunday night. In that time Bork estimates about a thousand people to travel to the Big River area for the event.

While camping at the site on the weekend is free people will need tickets to enjoy the shows.

In Prince Albert they can be picked up at the Prince Albert Music Centre, Prince Albert Arts Centre or online, at the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Festival website.

All this week leading up to the festival’s official start, the society is putting on a music camp at the festival site. Bork stressed that this camp is for people of all ages wanting to learn to play the banjo or the dobro, tickle the ivories on an old-tyme piano or harmonize with a choir of voices.

“It’s an opportunity for people to learn instruments in the bluegrass and old-tyme genres from the main stage acts.”

Although they prefer people to pre-register Bork said people are still welcome to come out to the camp to observe.

sfroese@panow.com