The 88th annual Assiniboia and District Music Festival kicked off two weeks earlier with a steak night fundraiser at 121 Steakhouse on Thursday, March 5. “It’s been a good turnout,” said Raegan Rasmussen, who was at the door of the restaurant to do a volunteer shift for the fundraiser created to assist the annual festival.
Rasmussen is a committee member of the festival, along with Sasha Struble and Julie Peterson. Karen Reisner is the festival’s treasurer and Heather Delorme is the festival’s local president. Bethany Daechsel and Laura Winter are the festival’s secretaries.
This year, there are 111 registered entrants for the Assiniboia and District Music Festival. The entry date to become part of this year’s festival in Assiniboia closed on February 12. Several children and adults will be performing for the festival held at the Assiniboia Alliance Church beginning on Sunday, March 15 at 3 p.m. Piano, vocal, speech arts, musical theatre and strings are representing the different categories of talent this year in the provincial competition. Following Sunday, the Assiniboia and District Musical Festival will carry on into Monday, March 16 beginning at 1 p.m. and on Tuesday, March 17 starting at 9 a.m.
A week later, the Stars of the Music Festival will gather at the Assiniboia Alliance Church on Sunday, March 22 at 2 p.m. for a dynamic show of dedication, perserverance and talent.
Beginning in February and ending in May, the Saskatchewan Music Festival Association will hold competitions throughout the province in 47 locations. Scholarships and awards are available locally at each of the district festivals in Saskatchewan.
The Saskatchewan Music Festival Association has a long history of classical competitive festivals in the province. The SMFA has been successful in organizing this province-wide event designed to exhibit more than 110 years of youthful talent in a changing world.
