The Winkler Harvest Festival & Exhibition has a banger of a lineup for its stage headliners this year.
Over the course of last week, festival organizers unveiled part of its musical schedule for the Aug. 7-9 celebration.
Jackson Dean
Finding acts that offer the wow factor the festival is always looking for while working within the budget is always a challenge, but one organizer Karina Bueckert and her team relish.
“The last couple of years, we’ve had big, big names. Owen Riegling, Tenth Avenue North [last year]—how do you beat that?” she said. “Being a free community event, it’s a tricky balance, but our sponsors definitely step in and help us out with that.
“The reality is, we have a lot of draw. Lots of artists are now wanting to come here and perform on our stage, and I’m so excited to be a part of that.”
Anchoring the Friday night country lineup this year is up and coming singer-songwriter Jackson Dean. Dean is a platinum-selling artist whose hits include “Don’t Come Lookin’” and “Heavens To Betsy.” Dean has opened for such acts as Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, and Brooks & Dunn in shows around the world.
Opening for Dean is Manitoba recording artist Brandi Vezina and homegrown band Brothers Keep.
Saturday night’s rock schedule will see ‘80s pop star Tiffany grace the stage. Her cover of the song “I Thing We’re Alone Now” topped the Billboard charts in 1987 and was followed by such hits as “Could’ve Been,” “I Saw Him Standing There,” and “All This Time.”
“Do you know how many ‘80s track suits are being ordered on Amazon right now for this show?” joked Bueckert, sharing Tiffany had been on her wish list for the festival for a few years now and she’s thrilled to have been able to make it happen.
Opening for Tiffany is the Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever cover band. A second opening act is also in the works but has not yet been confirmed.
Finally, rounding out the weekend with the Sunday Christian music night is Tim & The Glory Boys playing a Starfield set.
Tim Neufeld was the co-founder and lead singer of the award-winning Christian worship band Starfield, which tore up the charts in the early 2000s with hits such as “Filled With Your Glory” and “The Saving One.” He now leads the Glory Boys, which are a Juno-award winning group in their own right.
Opening acts that night are Jake Fretz and Peter Burton.
