(pictured: Michelle Wright at Gateway Music Festival in 2019)

This year marks the 35th anniversary of Dauphin’s Countryfest, Canada’s longest running country music festival in Dauphin, Manitoba. The site is located about ten minutes south of Dauphin on the edge of Riding Mountain National Park. Fans are treated to not only big name musicians, but thanks to amphitheater style seating, fans are given incredible prairie views. This year, the festival is going all 90’s country with performances from Clint Black, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Jo Dee Messina, Alabama, Diamond Rio, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, George Fox, Lisa Brokop, Michelle Wright, Patricia Conroy, and many others.

Mark Chesnutt was slated to perform Sunday evening but had to pull out of the festival due to emergency quadruple bypass surgery earlier this month. In a social media post he says he’s recovering comfortably at home with his family.

“We’re just trying to throw it back to the beginning of the festival and go back to our roots. Bring that 90’s country back and get some two-stepping going,” stated Kamryn Winters of Dauphin’s Countryfest.

The festival kicks off this afternoon and runs until Sunday night. Tickets are available by clicking here.