OXBOW — For the 15th year, Oxbow was home to the Bow Valley Jamboree.
The first jamboree was held in 2010. A group of Oxbow residents, attending a music festival in Forget the previous year, learned that this was the last such music festival in Forget. That was not music to their ears, as they had enjoyed a great time.
In musing over this, they decided that Oxbow with its Bow Valley would be a beautiful setting for their own jamboree. They could bring the great times and great music to their hometown.
And so began the Bow Valley Jamboree. Local bands were invited to the initial jamboree and year by year, as it has grown, the invitations for bands to perform were sent out further and further. As the jamboree grew, so did the need for a better stage. As a result, the Bow Valley Theatre stage was constructed.
The jamboree continues to grow. Not only is it a great day for those who attend…it is also very good for the community as a whole, as it brings tourists into Oxbow to take in the music.
This year’s line-up of bands is likely the best ever. Taking the stage through the afternoon and evening of Aug. 9 were Kilted Wind, The Ugly Strippers, Oscar’s Hollow, Karissa Hoffart, Tyler Del Pino & The Brasstronauts, Ten Mile High, and the main feature band, Snake Oil.
Snake Oil plays the heavy rock music of groups such as Black Sabbath and Kiss. Not only do they perform the music…they dress up as the bands. Attending one of their shows is akin to attending the shows of several musical artists.
Over 1,000 attended this year’s event. The day was on the rainy side, which created some stress for the organizers, but it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those listening to the music. People danced, smiled, sang along and laughed throughout the day.
As they say…’a great time was had by all’!
Communities like Minnedosa, Man. and Craven, Sask., are home to music festivals every year – music lovers in Saskatchewan’s southeast are fortunate to have a jamboree in their backyard.
An event like this cannot be run without the help of volunteers and sponsors. The organizing committee is deeply thankful for the 200-plus volunteers who helped out and the many sponsors who have supported the Jamboree over the years.
