With only days to go before this year’s event, organizers of this year’s Desert Daze Music Festival in Spences Bridge are putting the finishing touches on the first live festival since 2019.
The event kicks off with opening ceremonies at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9, with seven musical acts taking the stage that day. They include local favourites Melawmen Collective and Jenny and the Gents, and Paisley Groove from Kamloops will round off the evening.
There’s non-stop music all day on Saturday, Sept. 10, with 14 acts starting at 10:30 a.m. Among the artists performing that day are Nadine Davenport, Flat Busted, John Kidder, Sabrina and Mike, The Dire Heart, and Bobby Garcia, with Lytton’s favourite sons Richie and the Fendermen and then The Blue Wranglers closing out the festival.
“As always we strive to present musical talent from our own local communities,” say the organizers. “No need to look far and wide for first-class musicians and artists when we have an astounding and eclectic pool of fantastic talent to draw upon from right here in our own backyards!”
Associated Electrical Services has installed a second 4x20 amp circuit which will feed power to the main stage. This will allow audio-tech person Paul Cuthbert and his crew to ramp up their audio and lighting game, and provide better lighting, lasers, and fog machines to enhance the music experience for festival-goers.
In addition to the live music line-up, the festival will include the freshly-renovated Bighorn Lounge (formerly the beer garden), local vendors and merchanidse, kids’ activities, concessions, and farm-fresh produce and displays, including Horsting’s Farm Market from Cache Creek.
And it’s not too late to book a spot if you want to camp on-site. It’s the first time this option has been offered, and it’s proving popular with festival-goers who want to make sure they don’t miss a minute of the event.
The Desert Daze Festival is a community-based initiative which celebrates life in rural British Columbia through music, arts, heritage, and culture. It was born in 2009 from the vision, passion, dedication, and hard work of a small group of volunteers in Spences Bridge who wanted to celebrate the lifestyle and livelihood of small town and rural British Columbia.
For Spences Bridge to host such an event involves months of preparation and the support of many volunteers, local area businesses, First Nations Bands, and service organizations. Although the town’s year-round population is just over 150, during festival time the population of Spences Bridge has been know to more than triple.
For more information, including how to book a spot and a look at the full line-up of music and events, visit the Desert Daze Festival website at https://desertdaze.ca/.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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