Country Thunder campers can pitch their tents at Craven festival starting Thursday morning

Organizers are hoping the line to get into the Craven Country Thunder music festival this week won’t impede highway traffic as eager campers set up their sites ahead of a long weekend of music.

Megan Benoit, an organizer for the event, told The Greg Morgan Morning Show that campers can start setting up at 9 a.m. on Thursday. While camping for the festival usually opens a day earlier, on Wednesday, Benoit said conditions at the site were a concern this year.

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“We are going to do Thursday this year because there is still a little bit of mud, but the team is making it look beautiful,” she said.

“They’re doing a great job, and the weather looks great over the next few days, so that’s going to really help dry it all up.”

Benoit said lining up early for campsite access is not encouraged.

“I know there are people that want to be first in line, so they’re gonna … come early and do it,” she said, though she noted that the festival is working closely with police to prevent major impediments to highway traffic.

Some campsites are still available, but Benoit recommended acting quickly to secure those spots.

An SGI shuttle will be ferrying people to and from the event again this year, travelling from malls around Regina and from Moose Jaw. On-site parking is also available, and Benoit recommended purchasing a parking pass ahead of the start of the festival, as passes will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

A Country Thunder festival was set for Alberta this year, though that event was ultimately cancelled due to sound restrictions and construction issues.

“I’m disappointed that it didn’t come together,” Benoit said of the Alberta event.

Benoit encouraged any Alberta fans who are missing the opportunity to see one of the Craven performers to travel east for the weekend.

“Come out to Saskatchewan and we’ll show them how it’s done,” she said.

Performers for the festival will feature a mix of big acts and up-and-coming artists, with Lainey Wilson closing out the festival on Sunday night. Other artists on the lineup include Max McNown, Saskatchewan’s Kalsey Kulyk, Riley Green, The Dead South, Creed and Gavin Adcock.

Benoit said she’s especially excited to see Wilson’s performance at Country Thunder Saskatchewan after her show in Alberta had to be cancelled, while The Dead South will be representing Saskatchewan on the stage.

“I know there are a lot of people that are proud that, you know, all these guys are from here, but you don’t know how big their reach is,” Benoit commented.

Weyburn’s Brayden King will also perform during the festival kick-off party on Thursday night.

“There’s something fun about really shining a spotlight on the artists that were born and raised here,” Benoit said.

New features at the festival this year include water refilling stations, allowing festival-goers who bring in a clear, plastic, sealed water bottle to refill it throughout the day, along with a pro bull riding event called Buck and Thunder on Saturday and Sunday, and a backstage after-party on Saturday night following Creed’s performance.

“Everyone’s invited,” Benoit said. “If you’ve never been backstage at a festival, here’s your opportunity.”

Benoit recommended sunscreen, kiddie pools, cowboy hats and sunglasses as other means of staying cool throughout the festival weekend, noting that a response team will be on hand to tackle any emergencies.

“If you do get a little too much sun, head over to our dispatch office and they’ll take good care of you,” she said.

Tickets are still available for the festival, both online and at Co-op and Prairie Mobile.

–with files from 980 CJME’s Abby Zieverink