Sask. talent dominates lineup at Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival

Waskesiu will become a hub for music lovers this weekend.

More than 5,000 people are expected to flock to the hamlet within Prince Albert National Park as the townsite prepares for its largest event of the year.

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The ninth installment of the Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival begins on Friday evening and wraps up on Sunday afternoon. Kris Kershaw, the manager of the festivities, said festivalgoers don’t need to pay a dime to jam out on the shores of the lake this weekend.

“It is the best free family event of the summer, and we keep promoting the free part because this year, it is once again free to get into Prince Albert National Park, and the entire festival is free for all ages,” Kershaw said.

“Last hurrah before the kids go back to school.”

Many of the artists in this year’s lineup hail from within Saskatchewan’s borders, with more than a handful coming from the Prince Albert area. Some of those names include Donny Parenteau, Katelyn Lehner, The East Side of 2nd, Taya Lebel, The Loonie Bin and Dakota Favel.

The festival will have a little something for everyone, including an after-party on Friday at Happy Campers Bar and Grill. Then it’s non-stop music on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with beer gardens and a kid zone that includes bouncy castles, arts and crafts, and face painting. To close out the weekend, a street fair and car show are planned for Sunday, along with an Indigenous talent showcase from noon to 4 p.m.

The showcase will feature even more local musicians and artists, something that Kershaw said is important to the festival.

“It is one of the things that we are most proud of is showcasing local artists,” he explained.

“There are so many artists from the area, and also across Saskatchewan, that people have either never heard of or haven’t been given the chance to see. Some of them, it will be their first time in front of an audience that large, while for others, they’ve really taken off where everybody’s coming to see them.”

The headliner on the main stage on Saturday will be a returning act, The Steadies, who call Saskatoon home. According to Kershaw, they’re back by very popular demand.

“They did a live recording of their show two years ago, when they released (LIVE AT LAKEFEST 2024). And ever since then, all the emails and the messages and the social media stuff coming in, it’s like ‘When are The Steadies coming back? When are they coming back?’ So this one, by popular demand, they’re back.”

Additionally, Aurora Charter Service will be providing a safe free ride for festival goers from Elk Ridge to the Beaver Glen Campground to the festival site.

More information about the festival can be found on the event’s website.