Country Thunder Saskatchewan for the Uninitiated

by Scott Roos

For the uninitiated, the idea of might conjure up images of mud-spattered trucks, endless cases of cheap beer, and thousands of rowdy twenty-somethings treating a prairie field like the world’s biggest tailgate party. And sure, according to Country Thunder digital manager Megan Benoit, that element does exist. But that stereotype only scratches the surface of what has quietly become one of Saskatchewan’s biggest and longest-running cultural traditions.

“If you haven’t been to Country Thunder, you really have to throw away that idea that it’s your typical concert,” explains Benoit. “You know, if you go to an arena show or a club show, it’s totally different.”

Different is probably an understatement.

For four days every summer, the tiny community of Craven transforms into something resembling a temporary city. Fans pour in from Regina, Saskatoon, rural Saskatchewan, and beyond, creating what Benoit jokingly describes as “the third most populated city in the province” during festival weekend (sorry P.A.).

But despite the massive crowds and huge headliners, the heart of Country Thunder remains surprisingly communal.

“It’s truly just like a little community between the campgrounds,” Benoit says. “And then of course there’s the music, but there’s also so much more going on - shopping, line dancing, now bull riding. So it’s four days of a bit of an escape from everyday life in Saskatchewan and kind of the summer highlight.”

That “something for everyone” mentality is a huge part of why the festival has endured for decades. Yes, there are young first-time attendees treating it as a rite of passage after turning 19. But there are also families, older fans, and multi-generational festival veterans who have been attending for decades.

“We do see people who’ve been coming for 30 years,” says Benoit. “My favorite is always meeting the families where the grandparents came, then they brought their kids, and now those kids are bringing their kids.”

In other words, Country Thunder can be exactly what you want it to be. If your ideal weekend involves partying until sunrise in a louder campground area with friends and coolers full of beer, that option exists. If you want a quieter family-oriented experience, that exists too.

“There are different camping areas and you can kind of decide what your speed is,” Benoit explains.

And for anyone whose fear of outdoor festivals was permanently shaped by documentaries about the disastrous , Country Thunder apparently wants you to know this is not that.

“Let’s not put us with Woodstock ’99,” Benoit laughs. “Let’s keep those totally separate.”

In fact, one of the festival’s proudest selling points is something surprisingly mundane: proper bathrooms.

“We are one of the very few festivals that has flushable washrooms on site,” says Benoit. “As if you would go to a mall or any indoor venue... We have that.”

There are also showers, water refill stations, premium camping options with upgraded amenities, and cooling stations for those notoriously hot prairie afternoons. Main Street, the festival’s central hub, is packed with food vendors, shopping booths, and attractions connecting the campgrounds to the festival grounds.

“It really is making the weekend what you want,” Benoit says.

Of course, the music remains the biggest draw. This year’s lineup is one of the festival’s most eclectic yet, headlined by country superstars like Lainey Wilson and Riley Green but also featuring the eyebrow-raising inclusion of Creed.

For longtime observers, seeing a rock band at a country festival might seem strange at first glance. But according to Benoit, genre crossover has always been part of the event’s DNA.

“The first year we really did it, we brought in Nickelback and there were a lot of confused looks,” Benoit recalls. “But it ended up being an incredible show.”

Part of that flexibility comes from the festival’s unusual history. Before becoming Country Thunder, the site also hosted the rock-focused Rock the Valley festival. Over the decades, it has evolved through different ownership groups and identities, shifting between country and rock while maintaining a loyal fanbase.

“It just makes sense to let everyone come have a good time,” says Benoit.

And modern country music itself has increasingly blurred genre lines. Artists like Jelly Roll and HARDY already operate somewhere between country and hard rock, making a band like Creed feel less out of place than skeptics might expect. The festival’s beer gardens also continue that crossover mentality, frequently hosting rock-oriented acts alongside country performers.

But one of the most beloved aspects of Country Thunder isn’t the massive main stage at all.

Each year, the festival partners with SaskMusic to present songwriter circles and showcase stages highlighting Saskatchewan talent and emerging artists. Past participants have included artists like Jess Moskaluke, Tenille Arts, and Prince Albert’s own Katelyn Lehner. This year is no exception with rising SK stars like Taya Lebel, Mercy Glover, Adam Johnson, and Josh Stumpf to name a few.

“It’s one of my favorite ways to see a performer,” Benoit says. “Just them and their guitar and telling the story about how they wrote the song.”

And sometimes, those smaller performances become the beginning of something much bigger. Benoit points to the meteoric rise of Noeline Hofmann as proof that festival-goers should arrive early and pay attention to the undercard.

“You never know where they’re going to be a year from now,” she says.

That same unpredictability is part of what makes Country Thunder feel bigger than just a concert lineup. Past editions have featured artists who would go on to become global superstars including Taylor Swift, who headlined the festival back in 2009 during her Fearless era.

“At the time you’re like, ‘Oh great, we get to see Taylor Swift,’” Benoit says. “Then 15 years later you’re like, ‘I can’t believe we had Taylor Swift on our stage.’”

This year also introduces one of the festival’s newest additions: live bull riding in partnership with Canadian Western Agribition. For Benoit, the addition feels completely natural.

“Bull riding and country music just kind of go hand in hand,” she says. “We’ve always wanted to elevate the fan experience so that it’s more than just that one big stage.”

The festival has experimented with all kinds of extra attractions over the years, from wrestling and line dancing to Snowbirds flyovers. After successfully testing bull riding at Country Thunder Arizona earlier this year, organizers felt Saskatchewan — with its strong rodeo culture — was the perfect place to expand the concept.

“It just makes sense,” Benoit says again.

And maybe that’s the best way to understand Country Thunder Saskatchewan as a whole.

Yes, it’s a country music festival. But it’s also a campground community, a summer road trip, a family tradition, a prairie party, a showcase for Saskatchewan artists, and now apparently a place where you can watch someone try not to get launched off an angry bull before catching Creed later that night.

For four days every summer, it becomes its own strange little world in the middle of Saskatchewan. And for thousands of people, that’s exactly the point.

The festival runs July 9 - 12 at the classic Craven site. Tickets are still available.