BIG CITY, BIG EVENTS, BIG AMENITIES, BIG FUTURE PROGRESS 2019  Page 14


StagEXMusic FestivalpoisedtolaunchatWhoop-UpDays Nick Kuhl LETHBRIDGE HERALD nkuhl@lethbridgeherald.com L


il Jon is an international superstar. Arkells played the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary


earlier this year. Both will be coming to


Lethbridge this sumer. Bigger musical acts, aswell as


lower gate admissions, will highlight this year’sWhoop-Up Days in Lethbridge in August, saysMikeWarkentin, chief operating officer at Exhibition Park. “We truly wanted to create an


entertainment property that Lethbridge could call its own,” Warkentin said. “Whenwe built StagEX,we specifically built it as its own property sowe could build this tourism property around it. It’s a significant investment from our board of directors into the entertainment portfoliomoving forward for the next couple of years.” The first StagEXMusic


Festival entertainment lineup includes: Aug. 20: Corb Lund, Aaron


Goodvin, Alee Aug. 21: SamRoberts Band,


Nuela Charles,Mariel Buckley Aug. 22:WalkOff The Earth,


Scenic Route to Alaska, Julian Taylor Band Aug. 23: Arkells,Dear Rouge,


TheDirtyNil Aug. 24: Lil Jon,Notorious


YEG,Harman B “The change in particular


genres and acts was really about reaching out to the different demographics,” Warkentin said. “We purposely wanted to


change for this year, not to say thatwe won’t have classic rock in the future.We looked at creating the best lineupwe could this year and,


Herald photo by Ian Martens Canadian country band The Road Hammers performas part of the summer festival lineup during last year’sWhoop-Up Days at Exhibition Park.


unfortunately, it didn’t have classic rock this year.” “Wewere able to put together


an excellent lineup that I think will excite Lethbridge,” said BrennanMcfaul with Trixstar Productions, which is co- ordinating with Ex Park. “One of the big factors in our


development of the strategy here withWhoop-UpDays and Exhibition Park was offering something that people will stay in market, or people will come to market for, versus always losing those people to Calgary or to Edmonton.” “The three- to five-year


vision for StagEXMusic Festival is to growit into something significant. This year is the first step toward developing that three- to five-year vision.” Every gate ticket atWhoop-


UpDays will still allowaccess to the shows—and gate admission will actually be lowered for 2019. Those tickets will be $12 in advance and $15 at the door this year. “That one was really about


allowing access for more people to come to the fair,”Warkentin said. “We’ve listened to the


community on that one.One of the common comments thatwe get is that our ticket priceswere too high.” For each concert night, there


will be 500 up-front spots for an extra premium of $20 to $25 per night, along with a reduced price gate admission, depending on the act. The stage will still be known


as the Gas King Stage. But it will be new,moved, and have a


viewing area to accommodate up to 7,500 people—up from about 3,000 in previous years. It will face south, while the former gazebo area will be the new backstage area. “Exhibition Park recognizes


the tremendous value of event tourism, not only for the direct impact on both the local community and economy but also the importance of its growth and evolution in Lethbridge and the entire southern Alberta tourism sector as a whole,” says Ex Park CEO Rudy Friesen. “As the region continues to


evolve and grow, our ability to adapt to the changing environment reflects that commitment.” “The premiere 2019 StagEX Music Festival is poised to


feature Lethbridge and southern Alberta through a completely new and improved lens. The all-new 7,500 capacity festival site features a premium front stage area with exclusive access to amenities and premium experiences, an on- site FerrisWheel, a five-day pass general admission area andmore.” New security measures are


also being finalized, with the likelihood of bag checks and metal detectors. Warkentin says they are


working on plans with police and emergency personnel and will announce further specific details closer to August. Whoop-UpDays 2019 and


the StagEXMusic Festival tickets are on sale at exhibitionpark.ca.


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