Bengough is a quiet town of just over 300 people near the Big Muddy Valley. On the 4th weekend of each July, though, the town balloons in size as thousands flock to the area for the Gateway Music Festival. 

The festival itself started out in 2005 as a fundraiser for the community and has grown each year. It is considered by many to be one of the premier music festivals in the province, attracting acts from across the country, and from a variety of genres. For those who attend the festival each year, part of what makes things great is the group of volunteers from the community who come together to make it all happen.  

Megan Frisk is one of the organizers, helping out with hospitality during the two-day event. She has been a part of the festival since the very beginning.  

“My grandma, actually, her and a bunch of people from Bengough started the Gateway 20 years ago, so me and my family have been a part of it for 20 years,” Frisk explained. In that time, she has seen the festival grow from the community coming out and having a crowd of around 150, to thousands coming out for the event.

One of the elements of success for the event, according to Frisk, is the atmosphere. 

“I tell all of my friends that we are a family-friendly event – bring your kids out, they have a blast.” 

This year’s edition of the festival was the fourth time Melanie has volunteered, and she makes quite the journey to help out, coming from Vancouver Island. She started volunteering before the festival went on hiatus due to COVID-19, then came back last year. She noted last year’s event didn’t have the crowds she remembered before the pandemic, but was pleasantly surprised. 

“I was really happy to see all the campers in the field when we pulled in,” she explained.  

Another volunteer who has been with the festival right from the beginning is Curtis Giblett. He noted the festival started out as Party in the Park, which was when he got involved after some convincing from a friend.  

“My friend Keith Cairns got me involved because he needed somebody to go out and help to build some of the infrastructure every year before it started,” he explained. He added, jokingly, he then got stuck with lining up tents, getting all the electricity set up and also building the second stage. That stage is a point of pride for him. 

“We had a year here where we got a tremendous storm,” Giblett shared. “The main stage, they put it down, and the temporary stage we built couldn’t be pulled down, and it had to live through the storm, and it did, and it was still standing. It was kind of a bragging point out there that our hand-built stage made it.” 

The grassroots start of the festival has also given it quite a special feel. Many started out attending the festival when they lived in the area, and after moving away, still come back whenever they can for the two days of music and community. 

“There’s a lot of people that come back to the town that haven’t been here for years, that come back to the festival,” Giblett added. 

Melanie noted that each year, it isn't just the festival that brings her back to southern Saskatchewan. 

“We’re out here to visit with family, as well as help, so it’s a bit of everything for us.” 

It isn’t just the fans in attendance that keep coming back year after year for the atmosphere. 

“We have a lot of bands coming back,” Frisk mentioned. “54-40 has been here before, The Odds have been here before, Sloan has been here before. They all kind of played together so it's super cool they get to come back.” 

Many of the musicians even take the time to take in the sights of the Big Muddy Valley, and this year was no exception, with Serena Ryder, the headliner Friday night, venturing around the region, including taking in things like Castle Butte.  

After the two days of the festival itself, work will begin on the planning for the next Gateway Music Festival, and while nothing has been shared yet, it is hopeful it will be another great lineup, another great weekend of weather, and another great crowd that comes out to enjoy not just the music, but the feeling of community that develops during the festival. 

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