OXBOW - There will be plenty of great musical talent on display during this year's Bow Valley Jamboree (BVJ23) on Aug. 12 at the Bow Valley Park south of Oxbow.
The day-long festival features musical performances, artisans, food, beer gardens, children's activities, crafts and more, all in a family-friendly atmosphere.
It offers professional performers the opportunity to present their music to new audiences, while vendors and artisans display and sell their unique products.
Opening the festival will be Kilted Wind from 1:30-1:50 p.m. The southeast Saskatchewan pipers and drum band has performed in previous years, bringing upbeat energy and Celtic spirit to the festival.
Up next will be Dusty Rain from 1:50-2:50 p.m. It's a classic rock band from Oxbow, Alameda and Estevan, with Blair Wilson on bass guitar, Dennis Freitag on guitar and vocals, Rob Wilson on drums, Kirsten Tanghe on keyboard, and Vince Parker and Gord Young with vocals and rhythms on guitar.
Winsome Kind will perform from 3-3:45 p.m. The husband-and-wife duo has links to Oxbow and has been together for over a decade. They deliver memorable melodies, harmonies and lyrics. They will be returning after a hiatus of a few years.
Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys will be on the stage from 4-5 p.m. New to the Jamboree this year, Vaadeland is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who showcases a traditional yet unique style that combines bluegrass and 1950s rockabilly. He has won numerous awards during his career.
Up next will be JJ Voss from 5:15-6:30 p.m. Another new face to the Jamboree, Voss has released three albums and one single, garnering numerous award nominations from the Saskatchewan Country Music Association and the West Coast Music Association. Voss has built an authentic and professional career rooted in the soil of the working class.
Soul Sensation, featuring Munro and Patrick, will perform from 6:45-8:15 p.m. With the Motown, soul, R and B, and disco hits from the '60s, '70s and early '80s, Soul Sensation has been described as the “Vegas show band of the prairies” by the American Federation of Musicians Local 533. The band features a group of seasoned and polished musicians.
They will be followed by The New Montagues from 8:30-10 p.m. They bring a nine-piece, multiple award-winning band. With a horn section, guitars, vocals and high-energy songs, they play some of the biggest hits of all time for the crowd.
Karissa Hoffort will wrap up the festival with a two-hour performance from 10:15 p.m.-12:15 a.m. A newcomer to the jamboree, she has performed on many big stages and opened for well-known artists across the country. She is set to release a new album that she will showcase at the Bow Valley Jamboree.
The festival set an attendance record last year of 900 spectators of all ages.
"With this year’s talented and diverse musical line up, BVJ23 will be another day you won’t want to miss," the festival said in a news release.
Surrounding the stage is a variety of vendors and artisans. Food options will include the Oxbow & District Lions Club's roast beef supper, Filipino foods, The Reach Café's beverages, Southeast Shrine Club hotdogs and burgers, and Get in My Belly tacos, brisket, donuts and more. Food trucks will surround the stage.
Interspersed among these food vendors are artisans such as Cora’s Creations, Fabled Acres Flower Farm, Kaiya’s Pupcakery, Moonemis Creations, Just Bread, Off the Rails Pottery Studio, Something Sweet by Fadiah, Charlotte Hauck Pottery, and Kristyn Mayer and Tessa Havelange jewelry and natural products.
For the second year, an artist booth will also be highlighted, showcasing many artists from the area.
To create a family friendly atmosphere, children’s activities such as face painting, a bouncy castle, a rock-climbing wall, musical instruments and games are available at specific times throughout the afternoon. As well, a selfie wall, new to the Jamboree, offers participants a chance to win tickets to the 2024 festival.
