South Country Fair ready to play again this weekend

By Justin Sibbet - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on July 19, 2024.

Herald file photo - Performers from the group Badlands play during last year's South Country Fair in Fort MacLeod.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDjsibbet@lethbridgeherald.com

A southern Alberta staple is kicking off for the 36th time today in Fort Macleod, though changes will be abundantly clear for regulars of the event.

The South Country Fair started out as a camping trip for local folk clubs in 1987 and eventually blossomed into a large-scale music festival enjoyed by thousands of people every year.

However, Steven Foord, artistic director with the South Country Fair, says the event is being re-formed with this year, with the aim of returning to its roots.

“We’re just trying to kind of re-approach the way that we’re doing things,” said Foord. “So, with that in mind, this year we’re doing a bit of a scaled back approach.”

He says there would be over 1,800 people attending in recent years, but they are actively seeking fewer this time around.

“We’ve sort of shrunk down the overall footprint size of things,” said Foord. “This year, we’re looking for substantially (fewer attendees).”

However, he is confident the smaller size will not take away from the overall experience for fairgoers. In fact, he says this will allow for a stronger sense of togetherness as the weekend unfolds.

“We’re kind of taking this opportunity to just sort of bring it down because the thing that really makes it great is the community of folks that come down there,” said Foord. “We want to just kind of focus on that core community.”

As for the main draw of the event, Foord says there will be plenty of musical variety from the artists on stage.

“We have a group called “Antidoping” all the way from Mexico. (They’re) like an 11-piece reggae band. These guys play for stadiums of 40,000 people in Mexico.”

He says it is exciting to see such a big and unique band coming to southern Alberta. Other major artists include “Peter and the Wolves”, from Calgary as well as the Saskatchewan-formed, “Deep Dark Woods”.

But wait, there’s more, says Foord. “We’ve got workshops.”

These workshops, Foord says, include a variety of skill learning, such as ukelele training.

“You can learn ukelele almost in an afternoon.”

Foord says there are several other activities presented during the days, while the music takes the stage at night.

“It’s a very family friendly festival, as well. So, lots to do for the kids,” said Foord. “We also have our awareness area, that we always have every year, which is kind of a mix of different kinds of activities.”

Foord says there is a fire ban in the area, so fires will be prohibited, though there are still ways to cook classic camping foods.

“The propane fire rings are still admissible.”

He says it is also important to bring food, sleeping gear, sunscreen, bug spray and all other standard camping items.

This year, the South Country Fair has transitioned away from day passes, selling only weekend passes, available on its website.

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