Bragg Creek Days is kicking up its boots this year with a live music event the likes of which the community has never seen.
Bragg Creek Days Music Festival, a free outdoor concert, will run from noon until 4 p.m. July 20 outside the Bragg Creek Community Centre.
Rick Godderis, the music festival’s organizer, said while there has always been live music and a beer garden at Bragg Creek Days, the event has now evolved into a full afternoon of music highlighted by professional local bands.
“We are now turning it into a music festival with a beer garden,” said Godderis. “This concert event promises enough variety to entertain people from young to old.
“We have five awesome bands from five different musical genres. They are all local favourites.”
Elbow River, The Smoking Aces, The Waltzing Matildas, Robert MacLaine with Highway 762, and Tristan Zaba’s Darklight will each perform during the festival.
“I’m really excited about the line-up of artists,” said Godderis. “All are fun crowd pleasers.”
The concert will begin with local Americana and country band Elbow River, which features the beautiful mother/daughter harmonies of Leanne and Kaitlynn Copithorne, accompanied by Charlie Copithorne, Brandon Smith and Tim Jeffery.
Cochrane’s The Smoking Aces will then get the crowd pumped up with down home, rocking Chicago blues.
Swing band, The Waltzing Matildas, with members Jamie Newsom, Leanne Copithorne, Sandi Lightfoot and Tim Jeffrey will then delight the crowd by performing old jazz standards.
Young folk rockers Robert MacLaine and Highway 762’s music will feature strong harmonies and catchy choruses.
The concert will end with progressive rock band Darklight, which includes Zaba, Quinn Maubach and Edison Grove, rocking the house.
After the concert, Godderis said he hopes people will visit local restaurants, most of which plan to re-open by Bragg Creek Days.
“The music festival is a great opportunity to introduce people outside of the Greater Bragg Creek area to our local talent,” he said. “We hope people will visit from Airdrie, Okotoks, Cochrane, Black Diamond, Turner Valley and Calgary and support local businesses.”
Not only will people enjoy the music, but also the outdoor beauty of the hamlet.
“Music in the trees is what Bragg Creek is all about,” he added.
Hosting this music festival is part of a bigger plan to promote Bragg Creek’s live music venues and professional musicians, and draw more people to the hamlet according to Godderis.
For the last three years, he has published a weekly e-letter to inform people about the live musical performances in the hamlet, including weekly open mic nights.
“A group of us is passionate about trying to showcase Bragg Creek’s live music scene and the next step beyond the open mic nights is to now have this formal music festival,” he said. “Hopefully the event will expand and continue in the future.”
For more information about the bands performing at the Bragg Creek Days Music Festival: Follow Elbow River on facebook.com/elbowrivermusic, on Twitter @elbowrivermusic, or visit the band’s website, elbowriverband.com.
Visit Smoking Aces’ website at smokingaces.ca. Highway 762 can be found on Facebook, Reverbnation, and Sound Cloud. Check out Darklight at the website tristanzaba.com. To sign up for the Bragg Live Events e-letter, email Godderis at [email protected].
