After the success of its first two years, the Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival is back and promises to be better than ever. Come and experience some home-grown Alberta art.

The Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival is held every year in June, and the 2019 festival will be taking place on Saturday, June 22nd. The full-day event is scheduled to run from 9 am to 9 pm at the Wetaskiwin Ag Grounds. This is a change from the previous two years, when the festival was held at By-the-Lake Park. The festival is completely free to attend and great for the whole family.

While Wetaskiwin is perhaps best known for its automotive industry, the prairie city has become a thriving hub for artists over the years. It’s hard not to be inspired by the expansive blue sky, rolling hills, and sweeping prairie grasses that characterize the area. From this community of artists, the Wetaskiwin Arts and Music Festival Society was born and held its first festival in 2017.

The goal of the Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival is to bring together artists from all over Wetaskiwin and Wetaskiwin County in a place where they can showcase their talents to art lovers. The festival society embraces a broad definition of art, and the festival is known for its eclectic mix of visual and performance artists. You can expect to see painters, graphic artists, sculptors, photographers, quilters, woodworkers, jewellery makers, crafters, dancers, stand-up comedians, jugglers, martial artists, and more.

Musicians are also an important part of the Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival. The musical acts that will be performing this year are: Dan Siple/Pete, The Gentle Yeti, Gord York /Ken Benson, Jasmine Whenham, Justin Littlechild, FORM 10, Red Canoe, Mackenzie Fischer-Bach, Don Burbridge, Emily Yanosik, Nicole Roy/Kylie Morrow, Heavy Feather, Charly Doll, Robert James, Mitches Kitchen, Two Late to the Party, Heavy Feather, Rock and Flower, and Lory Kennedy.

As you walk around the festival grounds looking at art and enjoying the music, you can also try some gastronomic specialties from the food vendors that will be set up on site. The festival always provides a great mix of local vendors sure to satisfy anyone’s taste buds, so don’t worry about bringing a full lunch or dinner.

The Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival’s new location at the Ag Grounds means that there will be plenty of parking available. The spacious grounds will also be able to accommodate more vendors, artists, and visitors while still leaving plenty of room to comfortably move around and have a relaxing experience.

Before heading out to the festival for the day, it is a good idea to check the forecast and dress accordingly. Make sure you bring along sunscreen, a water bottle, some snacks, and maybe even a lawn chair to enjoy a rest in after running around under the early summer sun.

The Wetaskiwin Arts & Music Festival is a great opportunity to support local artists and start enjoying the outdoors again. Kick off the summer festival season with this uniquely Albertan event.