No Prairie Arts Festival in Moose Jaw this year

Moose Javians looking forward to the Prairie Arts Festival will have to wait until 2010.

There will be no festival this summer.

On Monday, Moose Jaw's Margaret Moran, who has been involved with the Prairie Arts Festival, told the Times-Herald that earlier this year the festival board decided to change the festival from an annual event to one that occurs every two years.

Therefore, the Prairie Arts Festival (which was at one time slated to be held in Crescent Park on Aug. 14-15 this year) won't happen again until next year.

According to Moran, a major reason for the board reducing the frequency of festival was due to a lack of volunteers.

Last summer's festival, which was the first one held in Crescent Park, included various musicians such as country artist Jason Blaine, former Canadian Idol finalist Tyler Lewis and Western Canadian Music Award winner The Blood Lines.

Also, Saulteaux Feather Dancers performed traditional First Nations dancing and story telling and local musician Mark Lowe demonstrated grain-bin acoustics while performing with the band Brain Sauce.

Prior to that, the festival had been held around Canada Day on Main Street.

What?: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:48:56

Ahh the prairie arts festival, a time when all the downtown elite gather to bicker and show how petty they are.

Way to go guys, if this fest is an indication of the hockey rink the hype will fizzle out fast and hard. Didn't Tom Petty VOLUNTEER to play the first year?

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anna1: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:47:54

I was involved in the PAF which is why I am qualified to tell it like it is. As for Leno's post/nonsensical ramble - dude what are you smoking?

anna1: - September 18th, 2009 at 17:22:30

There was a vision for the festival that needed to be nurtured but Dawn just railroaded the original board with HER ideas (which are bad) and alienated most of the people involved. Dawn is pennywise and pound foolish and has no idea how to execute - speaking of which -what happened to the new brand?? we should be seeing the creative all over town?? Dawn must have lost interest. Another mickey mouse false start compliments of Ms. Luhning.

Terry B: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:49:36

Have to agree with j leno, what a bunch of miserable pratts most of you are. A freeby soap box for all your bitterness and loathing. Wonder how many of you morons would be so vocal if not for your anonymity? If you think you have all the right answers, get some hair on your chest, and get your name (sullied though it may be) on a ballot!

Dawn: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:48:56

Anna1,
Sounds like you have something you'd like to get off your chest in regards to the PAF which I have not been a part of for three years. If you were involved why don't we have a chat and discuss your concerns? You know who I am, maybe you'd like to email me and tell me who you are so we can review your disgust with the Festival.

Then I'll be able to fill you in on the facts as I know them from my time there. You do not seem to know what really went on with the Festival, all the money I raised etc etc.

Reveal yourself and let's talk about this like adults. If you are an adult? Who knows? You may be a child/minor? or a man for all I know..

..Oh, and lashing out at me on a PAF article..there must be something ELSE that's REALLY bothering you, to use this article.

Easy to hide behind a pseudonym isn't it? Thanks for your 'kind' words above.

I'll wait to hear from you - dluhning@moosejaw.ca

What?: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:33:55

I wonder if this has anything to do with the amount of money that they lost each year.
This festival is a waste of time and money!

Wayne: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:20:08

If What from MJ and Anna took all that negative energy and turned it positive.....and tried to do some good for Moose Jaw....like many of our volunteers that work hard to put on a great weekend like the Prairie Arts Festival ...you'd quickly find our city a much better place to live.

Try to smile. It won't hurt.

j leno's pal: - September 18th, 2009 at 16:10:44

I am so sorry when I see you bloggers or selfstyled critics putting your comments that are so vindictive and negative, on the internet.
They say that people will eventually weed out the bad parts of the internet bloggers but it will certainly get bad before it gets better.
I am so glad I am leaving this province because it seems the more prosperity there is here the more negative and downright disrespectful people are, just look at the incidents of road rage.
To me you two are basically coming from the same place. pleeaasse all of you get help before you hurt someone.
people get forced into hurting themselves by people like you , and suicides like our recent MP.
I have seen you people for fifty years and I am fed up, please follow the Christian principles that you were taught as a child.
I'm not going to read this stuff anymore. I know that is what you are saying I should do. Over and out.

What?: - September 18th, 2009 at 15:40:47

I volunteered the first two years, the year it was good, and the year the firworx showered dowtown in ashes

The hypocrates need to get off the soap box.