by Scott Roos
photos by Scott Roos of Scotty the Rooster Photography
MooseFest may be a rap but the gig train is going to keep rolling for much beloved Saskatoon based jam band Chesterfield. They’ll be heading out to the Ness Creek site near Big River for the Backwards Ness Festival the weekend of September 1st. A more low key, dialed back affair than the mighty Ness Creek Music Festival, Backwards Ness first and foremost will offer a lot of great music including The Great Fuss, Haunt Era and of course, Chesterfield.
“Backwards Ness is really reminiscent of what Ness used to be like when it was a smaller scale, more intimate festival,” explains Chesterfield’s Cordell Anderson.
The festival will kick off on Friday, September 1st with gates opening at 4 pm. Food will be available for purchase. Music from Haunt Era’s Paul Kuzbik and Aspen Beveridge will go down on the main stage. Musically speaking, if you’ve ever been backstage at the Ness Creek site, there’s actually quite a lot of room back there and an ample amount of stage. So that’s how it all goes down at Backwards Ness. It’s literally backwards.
The festival has promised more family friendly activities this year too. The Saturday events, running from 1 pm until late in the evening, will feature games like potato sack races, three legged races, horseshoes, the “Let’s Get Pickled” contest and more. There will also be several planned music workshops featuring members of Haunt Era, Chesterfield and The Great Fuss. To end the night, starting around 8 pm, the three bands will perform on the backwards stage.
In general, throughout the summer, the Ness site offers a lot of great festivals. Backwards Ness is the last of those festivals giving that final little dose of “happy Ness” before the summer grinds to a halt.
“It’s super fun. It’s very sentimental in a way because it’s the festival that closes out the Ness Creek festivals for the summer. You’re seeing everyone for one last hurrah and then it’s 8 months of sad winter - a hibernation,” adds Chesterfield's Kasia Thorlakson.
*Kasia Thorlakson (L) and Justin Braun (R) of Chesterfield performing at MooseFest 2023 (photos by Scotty the Rooster Photography)
Here's some more helpful info on Backward's Ness:
TICKETS - you can buy em by clicking HERE
$40 Advance Online Tickets (plus taxes and fees)
$60 At The Gate (flat rate)
12 and under FREE!
Ticket prices includes camping. Cabins are available for rent through Ness Core.
Dinner
FRIDAY night for purchase.
SATURDAY Dinner and a late-night snack are available to purchase at 3rd & Main in the main downtown area on site.
There's a bar, so bring your ID and cash!
Comments