Ness Creek prepares to welcome thousands for four-day festival

“We’re just regular people who love music and we love the forest of northern Saskatchewan,” Aitken said. “And we love pitching in and doing things together.”

Ness Creek has a village-like atmosphere that has evolved over 30 years. The site features a central gathering area with performance stages, food vendors, beer gardens and family programming, along with camping areas nestled among the trees.

“It’s really a nice communal spot.”

Aitken described the event space as ‘very homemade’, but said returning visitors may notice several improvements, including access to flush toilets.

One of the festival’s most distinctive attractions is the Stage of Aquarius, a floating performance venue mounted on a pontoon boat at nearby Nesslin Lake. Festival-goers can take shuttle buses to the lakeside event, where bands perform for audiences gathered on the beach or floating in the water.

The Stage of Aquarius is a floating performance venue on Nesslin Lake. (Image Credit: Ness Creek Cultural and Recreational Society/Facebook)

The festival lineup features performers from Saskatchewan, across Canada and beyond. The first performance begins at 8 p.m. Thursday night with Rocky Lakner. At midnight, ShiShi, a group from Lithuania, will take to the stage with their ‘zero-waste trash music.’ There is even after-hours performances. According to the online digital program, the last band to perform on opening night will be Prairie Gamble; they’re actually scheduled to hit the stage at 2:30 a.m. Friday morning.

Aitken said one of the highlights each year is seeing local musicians share stages with international artists.

“So many great collaborations have happened here from touring musicians coming, seeing a Saskatchewan band and loving them and taking them on the road.”

“It’s really exciting to see the interest in the bands, in the local bands and through the musicians themselves,” she said.

Beyond the music, the festival programming includes children’s activities, cultural workshops, yoga sessions, community jams, Indigenous beadwork, Chinese lion and dragon dance performances, gardening demonstrations and traditional food-making workshops for things like Norwegian brewing techniques.

Programming at the Ness Cree Music Festival includes songwriting workshops, family yoga and learning how to do drag makeup. (Image Credit: Ness Creek Cultural and Recreational Society/Facebook)

Aitken said the festival’s family-friendly atmosphere and sense of community have remained consistent over the years, even as the event has expanded.

“The vibe remains the same because the people who get connected to this space love it and they bring their best energy,” Aitken said. “Everybody’s working together for the sake of music and hanging out together.”

The festival also maintains emergency preparedness plans and wildfire response procedures, a consideration that has become increasingly important following recent wildfire seasons in Saskatchewan. Aitken said volunteers and coordinators review evacuation plans annually and are expecting favourable weather conditions for this year’s event.

Tickets are available at the gate, which oep. Organizers encourage attendees to come prepared with cash and reusable water bottles. Pets, fireworks and glass containers are not permitted on site.

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-With files from CKOM and The Evan Bray Show

by paNOW Staff

Ness Creek prepares to welcome thousands for four-day festival

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