Subscribe to the 100% free rdnewsNOW daily newsletter!
Westerner Days 2019 (rdnewsNOW file photo/Josh Hall)
Budweiser Beer Gardens

Westerner Days announces entertainment lineup for new outdoor stage

Jul 11, 2022 | 2:31 PM

The entertainment lineup has been announced for a new outdoor stage at this year’s Westerner Days.

Announced on Monday, Westerner Park says The Budweiser Beer Gardens, located near the racetrack (4847A 19 St) will be open each day from 12 p.m. – 12 a.m., featuring live music and is free with fair admission.

The entertainment lineup for the new stage at the Westerner Days Fair & Exposition, runs July 20-24, and includes:

  • Kate Stevens: Wednesday, July 20 at 4:00 p.m. (Presented by Big 105.5 & 106.7 Rewind Radio)
  • Sweet Barry Wine: Wednesday, July 20 at 9:45 p.m. (Presented by Big 105.5 & 106.7 Rewind Radio)
  • Drew Gregory: Thursday, July 21 at 4:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Presented by Big 105.5 & 106.7 Rewind Radio)
  • The Static Shift: Friday, July 22 at 4:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Presented by Big 105.5 & 106.7 Rewind Radio)
  • FKB: Saturday, July 23 at 4:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. (Presented by Big 105.5 & 106.7 Rewind Radio)
  • Stereos: Sunday, July 24 at 5:00 p.m.

Kate Stevens, according to Westerner Park, is a dynamic R&B singer/songwriter from Calgary, who draws inspiration from easy-listening soul/R&B from the 1970s while also infusing traces of jazz. They say Stevens has a mature take on her ever-growing musical style and technique.

Sweet Barry Wine is a collective of musicians formed in Calgary led by Sweet Barry Wine himself, Barry Mason on vocals and guitar.

Drew Gregory is a three-time Country Music Alberta Horizon Male and the inaugural YYC Male Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (Better in a Bar), and Album of the Year (I Was There). He recently took home $50,000 from Project Wild to help advance his career. With new songs in the works and an album expected soon, Westerner Park officials say the songs he writes and sings contain a deep-rooted honesty and authenticity.

The Static Shift is an Indie Canadian rock and roll trio. With a sound described as tight and unquestionably groovy. Westerner Park says the band aims to transport audiences away through a soulful musical experience. Their singles “Wide Awake” and “1965” hit #7 and #14 on the Canada Active Rock charts, respectively. They’ve toured and performed alongside the likes of Billy Talent, Collective Soul, Kansas, Big Sugar, Walk Off The Earth, and Trooper.

FKB is described by officials as a high-energy, four-piece alternative rock band from Edmonton, influenced by the mystique, glamour, and excess of the 1960s through 1980s entertainment business. Formed in Bonnyville, Alberta, the band is fronted by 2019 JUNO Award-nominated songwriter Drew Shalka. All of FKB’s music, including “Bright Lights” (2017), which was nominated for Adult Alternative Recording of the Year at the Edmonton Music Awards, was produced by Clayton Bellamy, a JUNO Award winner, multiple Canadian Country Music Association and Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada Songwriter of the Year. FKB has performed over 200 shows across North America since 2017. They won the Jim Beam National Talent Search Edmonton edition in 2019, which culminated in a showcase performance at Canadian Music Week in Toronto.

Stereos, founded in Edmonton in 2006, first gained notoriety after appearing on the Canadian reality TV show, Disband. With the release of Cheap Thrills, Stereos’ first album since 2010’s Uncontrollable, the freshly reformed Canadian pop act tap into a new sound; one that Westerner Park officials say will evoke a powerful sense of nostalgia in fans, but also display their stellar talents as individual players and the chemistry that drove their initial popularity. They say the original members of the band expand dramatically on their signature sound with lyrics rooted in the experiences from Stereos’ first go around as well as what’s happened in their lives since then.

Westerner Days Fair & Exposition is central Alberta’s largest summer celebration, with five days of live entertainment, food, midway rides, and nightly Pony Chuckwagon Races. Each year, Westerner Days has an impact on the local economy of Red Deer and the surrounding area, with the overall effect estimated by officials to be over $7 million.

Visit Tickets Alberta for single-day admission or Ride All Day (RAD) Passes which include fair entry. Free parking is also available.