Northern Lights festival marks 20 years with bluegrass, dancing and a prairie-grown tradition
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In the boreal forest northeast of Big River, banjos, fiddles and dancing shoes are set to take centre stage as the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Time Music Camp and Festival celebrates its 20th year this August.
What began as a worry that acoustic traditions were fading in Saskatchewan has grown into a homegrown festival and music camp that now draws performers from across Canada and the United States, while also helping launch local talent.
“Two decades ago, conversations in the acoustic music community centred around our worry that making music the good old-fashioned way was being lost,” Tracy Lalonde wrote in a letter promoting the event. “There was plenty of opportunity for folks in the province to hear rock, pop and country music, but where could people go to hear those banjos and mandolins?”
Lalonde said that concern helped spur the old-time fiddle and bluegrass communities in the Saskatoon area to join forces and create the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Time Society, which now anchors the annual event at the Ness Creek festival site, which is about an hour and a half northeast of Prince Albert.
