Lots of great music heard, and fun had at Party in the Park Festival despite some rain

Since 2007, the Town of Whitecourt’s Party in the Park Festival has drawn big crowds from the community and beyond. Visitors and residents have flocked to Rotary Park, now called Festival Park, to take in an ever-changing lineup of artists and performers from nearly every genre that exists, year in and year out. From blues to rock, country and pop, East Coast style and folk and everything in between, there’s always someone performing on the stage to suit those in the crowd.

This year’s lineup included two well-known headliners, Fefe Dobson on Friday night and Jojo Mason on Saturday. Fefe’s self-titled debut album dropped in 2003, spinning several hits and garnering her two Juno Award nominations. After a pause in her career due to a record label switch, Dobson put out her album Joy in 2010, which pumped more hits out across the country. Her latest single, Hungover, debuted the same day as her park performance.

By the time Fefe stepped onto the stage, a massive crowd had formed. Her show started and closed with Frank Sinatra’s My Way, a unique touch. Fefe chatted up the crowd through her set, complimented those near the front, and got everyone clapping along in unison. She even performed one of her favourite tunes from childhood, Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses, receiving rousing applause.

Jojo Mason, born and raised in Regina, performed on Saturday. His two singles last year, Broken Umbrella and Let Me Down Easy, reached the fifth spot on Billboard Canada Country. In 2017 and 2019, Jojo was nominated for the Rising Star Award at the CCMA awards, and, thanks to Party in the Park, fans could see him perform up close and personal without needing to buy a ticket.

Econoline Crush, Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, The Prairie States, D.J Warkentin, and Edward Pimm performed, giving the crowd a great show. Local performers also hit the stage throughout the two-day festival, including Reid Dickson, Nicolas Melnychuk, The Mad Jacks, Analog Smokeshow, Karen Shilka, Beauty and the Beats, Finley Melnychuk, Dionna Arcand, and Blues At 11.

Resident Lana Miller said the best thing about the Party in the Park Festival was that it brought people together. “Families, adults, children, all can enjoy it at the same time. There’s lots of variety in the bands and lots of local entertainment, which is wonderful, along with a couple of big headliners.”

She said the price tag for attending was one of the perks. “The takeaway here is that it’s free. You can enjoy all these bands for free, no tickets needed. You can bring your kids down, and they can play in the bouncy castles or get face paint. It’s lovely.” In the crowd, Miller said she was waiting for Econoline Crush to hit the stage. “I met them at the casino, as they’ve been out there a few times, and I loved their performances, so I’m here to see them again.”

Millar said a big part of the festival is the business support, putting dollars and in-kind donations towards the event. This year’s list of sponsors was a big one. It included Hodge Pressure Services Ltd, Chevron, New Venture Safety Services Ltd, Millar Western Forest Products, West Fraser, Canfor, JT Enterprises, Iron Wing, Strike Group, Ironman Sand Blasting, Carlan Services Ltd, Alta Tech Environmental Services Inc, Servus Credit Union, Northwell Oilfield Hauling, Fluidpro Oilfield Services, High Arctic Energy Services, Apex Oilfield Services, Flowmax Waste Management Solutions, The Kanata Inns – Whitecourt, Pizza Hut, Stitch N Time Custom Embroidery Ltd, Carbonex Contractors Ltd, XM 105 FM, boom 96.7, Vertex Resource Group, United Rentals, Ralcomm Ltd, and Profoxx Rentals Inc.

“I think it’s important that these businesses see what this event actually does for everyone and how much people enjoy it. We all get to enjoy this as a community. I see it as money well spent and return on investment,” said Miller. Without generous community supporters, the Party in the Park Festival would not be the same event that people have grown to love and look forward to each year. “There are all kinds of people here, from those new to Whitecourt and those who’ve lived here all their lives and everyone in between. Everybody gets together and enjoys it all at once, and there’s so much going on in the rest of the park too,” said Miller, pointing to the craft area, laser tag, face painting, bubble balls, and line up of food trucks.

Volunteers are also a significant part of it. Numerous community groups, including the Youth Advisory Committee, donated their time to supervise games and bouncy castles or help direct traffic, and the Whitecourt & Woodlands Performing Arts Society is involved from start to finish making the event the success that it is. From the community members and visitors who enjoyed the weekend to the volunteers and businesses who made it come to life, thank you!