This weekend, Country Thunder reached a historic milestone, welcoming its one millionth fan at the annual music fest. Operating since 2005, the festival is renowned for showcasing top country music talent in Canada. This year’s event featured performances from Luke Combs, Nickelback, Dallas Smith, Meghan Patrick, Josh Ross, Gary Allan, and many more.

“We’ve built an incredible community of music lovers and concertgoers,” said CEO Troy Vollhoffer. “This is a huge milestone for the festival but even more so for our artists and fans, and–in the Country Thunder spirit–we want to celebrate that together.”

Darby Klassen, a four-time attendee from Central Butte, was thrilled to win an exclusive prize package. Her winnings included a guitar autographed by all performing artists, two Platinum Experience passes with Artist Hospitality access for life, a golden festival pass, and a $20,000 prize package from sponsors. Klassen, who first attended the festival with her parents ten years ago, plans to return annually.

“I couldn’t be more grateful to win and can’t wait to keep coming back every year now!” she said. “I never would have believed that I would actually win an amazing prize like this!”

The festival saw record-breaking attendance, with the highest numbers since 2010. Despite the hot weather, the grounds were near capacity. Dallas Smith, who played to over 22,500 fans, praised the enthusiastic crowd.

“I’ve played shows all over the world, and I love the crowds at all the Country Thunders in Canada and the US–but playing Craven this weekend…that was next level,” Smith remarked.

Country Thunder hosts festivals in Arizona, Wisconsin, Alberta, Bristol, and Florida. Since its inception in 1996, it has become a staple for country music fans, featuring legendary artists like Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, and more.