Bridgefest!

The Battlefords know how to party! I spent most of my day yesterday at the 2nd Annual BRIDGEFEST- a large outdoor festival hosted by the City of North Battleford and Town of Battleford in partnership with the Battlefords United Way. It is held every year at the end of August at the Battleford Flats and features local entertainment, food, and a myriad of activities put on by various non- profit organizations.
 
This was my first Bridgefest, and I was very impressed with the scale of the event. On Friday night I got a sneak peak when I was on the grounds to help set up our Battlefords Union Hospital Foundation Golf Splash- a chipping contest with prizes for those who can chip into a small swimming pool. Seeing the grounds with all of the booths set up was impressive- but what really got me was the hundreds of people who flocked to the event on Saturday (it was probably thousands, actually).
 
I arrived rather early in the morning and there was already a line- up for the pancake breakfast. After the opening ceremonies the entertainment began- and the main stage would be continually providing entertainment- local bands, singers, hypnotists, rappers, impersonators, with the climax being Prism at the end of the day.
 
I had to pleasure to serve as the M/C for the main stage for the duration of the afternoon- which means I got to meet the local talent personally backstage. As a former guitarist in a performing band, I am always curious about how groups come together. I was surprised at how many young people in our community are showing a strong interest in putting bands together and performing…this was not the case when I was younger. In fact, the high calibre of talent at the show motivated many people with a ‘hobby interest’ in playing an instrument to start talking about getting more serious. “We can play next year’s Bridgefest” was a common refrain.
 
There were a few people in particular who approached me with the idea of ‘putting a band together,” knowing that I have an arsenal of guitars and amps at home.  While spare time is hard to come by these days, it’s certainly an idea that makes me think…what would Jake and Elwood say?