From Aug. 28 to 30, The Waskesiu Lakeside Festival is set to return for its 11th year to Waskesiu Lake, with over 10 live performers, food vendors, merch stands, and activities for children.
Kristopher Kershaw, manager at the Waskesiu Lakeside Festival, called it “Waskesiu’s biggest event of the year.”
“So the Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival is Waskasu’s biggest event of the year. It is running from August 28th to the 30th and the whole festival is free. So the three day festival,” explained Kershaw. “Friday night is the sunset stage, we set up a stage on the main beach. Then Saturday, the entire day from 11 a.m until 10 p.m is non-stop music on the main stage, which is located in the main park. And then Sunday is the Indigenous Talent Showcase which is more music. It is the best free family event of the summer.”
The festival also features a car show, various food vendors, a street fair, an Original 16 beer garden, and a kid’s zone with face painting and bouncy castles.
As for the response from parents, he said “everybody wanted more.”
“So this year we expanded it to include more arts and crafts, and there’s actually an arts and crafts club that’s going to be set up there. The Nutrient Wonder Hub is coming. There are going to be about five different tables of different activities for the kids as well, along with the face painting and bouncy castles and all sorts of fun over there,” he said.
He added that the overall feedback from the community has been positive.
“The event grows every year. Last year we had just over 6000 people the year before. This year we’re expecting hopefully 7000 people if the trend keeps going,” said Kershaw.
Due to the festival’s free admission, Kershaw emphasized the importance of funding from the community.
“So the Waskasiu Recreation Association puts on several events throughout the year. This is the biggest event.And in order to keep the festival running and keep it a free festival, we need people to support the Recreation association for sure,” he explained. “So the 50/50, all of the proceeds for that are going to the Waskasu Recreation association and then being directed for next year’s Waskasu Lakeside Music Festival.”
The main headliner of the festival are The Steadies, a band self-described as “dance-rock with funk, pop, and reggae influences.”
Earl Pereira, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist said they’re excited to return to the Waskesiu stage.
“When we play it, I think everyone gets more excited and it’s just our favorite festival to play, so everyone’s jacked up. We were pumped and we’re gonna put on the best show we’ve ever done, for sure,” he said.
The band has played on the stage multiple times, and were the very first headliners of the festival.
“We have seen it evolve from the beginning. I think it was 2015, something like that. And it was a small festival at the time,” explained Pereira. “You know, there were probably, you know, a few hundred people at it. And just to see it grow to where it is now, I think that when we played it in 2024, people were talking how there were like close to 3,000 people at it, which is just unreal, you know, to see it grow 10 times the size in 10 years is pretty amazing, for sure.”
In addition, Pereira said the band has added some ‘changes’.
“I’ve been seeing everyone commenting and we started posting that we’re coming back. We’re coming as a bigger band this year. We got some special guests. We have a full horn section, keyboards. We’re going full out for everyone this year,” he said.
The Waskesiu Lakeside Festival is set to be from Aug. 28 to Aug. 30 at Waskesiu Lake in the Prince Albert National Park. The free family-focused event includes live entertainment, a kid’s zone, food vendors, a street fair, an Indigenous talent showcase, a car show, and a beer garden.
For those needing a safe ride to the festival grounds, the Aurora Charter Service offers assistance, with a charter service from Elkridge and the campgrounds to the Waskesiu Festival.
