Country Thunder Sask. wraps up with fans in high spirits

Country Thunder Saskatchewan has wrapped up for another year, but campers say the heat, music and memories made the weekend worth it. Erika Madarash has more.

Another year of Country Thunder Saskatchewan has come to a close, drawing thousands of country music fans to the small Saskatchewan town of Craven.

The four-day festival featured major country acts like Riley Green and Lainey Wilson as well as the rock band Creed. Fans packed the campgrounds and spent long days in the summer heat, with attendees traveling from across the province and beyond.

“Very hot,” said camper Conrad Schneider.

“…Cooled off quite a bit today and we’re ready to get out of here. [I’m] Rehydrating, had a good time."

Despite the heat earlier in the festival, many say the overall experience keeps them coming back year after year.

Zayda Shepard travelled from Humboldt and said she plans to return next summer.

“I would do the whole thing again, I feel like,” she said.

Police calls

Saskatchewan RCMP said in a statement that there were 177 calls for service related to the festival.

Overall, RCMP say it was a successful weekend.

“Large-scale events like Country Thunder require a collective commitment to safety, and largely speaking, we saw that throughout the weekend,” said RCMP’s Evan Gordon.

Organizers say the continued support from festivalgoers is what makes the event successful.

“We’re so thrilled,” Megan Benoit, the digital manager for Country Thunder Music Festival said. “Saskatchewan and beyond came out to support us, and we hope that everyone had a great weekend. We love putting this event on and we can’t wait to be back next year.”

From the live performances to the campground atmosphere, attendees say it’s the sense of community that defines the Craven experience.

Organizers are already looking ahead to next year’s festival and will announce the lineup in the fall.