ATHABASCA – The 29th annual Magnificent River Rats Festival (MRFF) is a wrap after two days of live music and entertainment kept Athabascans in a good mood.
On-stage performances included a stop by the Alberta Strongman Association and World Champion hoop dancer Dallas Arcand, up-and-coming musicians like Travis Dolter, Riley Baldwin, and Ava Nayana, and local talents Karley Bilsky, Emile Kryvenchuk and Friends, and Ramshackle Fancy. For the less musically inclined, there were bouncy castles, food trucks, and a full market set up beside the festival.
“It was an amazing weekend. The vibes were sublime, making it free was the best decision we ever made,” said MRFF president Fred Minville.
“People are enjoying it, the artists are loving it; we have something special here that we must cherish and treasure and keep forever.”
Outside of the venue — every artist interviewed mentioned the festival’s location as part of the reason they enjoyed playing in Athabasca — the MRFF’s family friendly appeal, and the resulting hordes of children running around, are also a major draw for musicians.
“The people brought us back. This is a fantastic event, put on by fantastic people. We play a lot of festivals, and we play a lot of corporate events and a lot of theatres and ticketed events, but there’s something special here,” said Ken Polansky, lead singer of Tuesday’s headline act Rubix Kube.
“It’s a family event, and I’m a family guy. I love that. We’re in a day and era where it costs 600 bucks a ticket to come to a festival, and what is going on here? Two days of entertainment, front-to-back, and it’s for families. It’s awesome. I’ll be here as long as they’re happy to have me.”
For younger musicians like Riley Baldwin and Ava Nayana, the festival is a good chance to play for a wider audience and spread their name around outside of their home towns.
Nayana returned for the second year in a row after her performance left a mark on the committee last year. Since her 2023 performance she’s been focusing on studio work instead of live shows but she eagerly took the opportunity to return to Athabasca.
“I really like the festival, I love the people, it’s a great venue. It’s one of my favourites for sure,” said Nayana.
Local talents
Besides bringing in touring acts, the festival committee also makes a point to highlight musicians from here in Athabasca. The Athabasca Ministerial Association got things started with some early morning gospel music June 30, and Ramshackle Fancy and rising star Karley Bilsky had the chance to show what they could do later in the day.
“it was more than I imagined, it was so cool to finally play here after coming here my whole life, so it was a great opportunity. The crowd was great, especially in the afternoon like this,” said Bilsky.
“Hopefully we can come back next year.”
Bilsky was joined on stage by a trio of veteran Athabasca musicians, Will O’Donnell, Glen Finney, and Bryan McNeil. The performance was just their second time on stage together, but that didn’t stop the group from leaving attendees wowed.
“It took a series of practices, and what you hear is what you get today. It seems to be working for us,” said O’Donnell.
Ramshackle Fancy was one of the festival’s less traditional musical acts, featuring a musical style they call ‘boreal gothic.’
“It’s so much fun, but it’s also a great opportunity for an up-and-coming band like ourselves to play on a bigger stage, with professional sound, and get to be in front of our community,” said the band’s accordion player Frazer Andrews.
“We bring something a little different to the stage with our song writing. It’s a different sound from what other bands may have,” said guitar player Carrie Somerville.
“A lot of our songs are inspired by the stories of where we live, and the people who live here. We couldn’t play the kind of music we do if we didn’t live here.”
