The South Country Fair  is back to be a family affair. Not only because the people who attend the popular summer event in Fort Macleod at the Fish and Game Park consider themselves to be family, but because Maureen Chambers and her daughter Gillian Moranz book the acts.

 “ Jana McKenzie booked the south stage for as long as she could. I told her when she started that she could do it for as long as she felt comfortable doing it,” said Maureen Chambers who helped found the festival 33 some years ago.
“Jana always stayed with the philosophy ‘if it isn’t broken don’t fix it,’” Chambers said, noting nothing has changed  this year.

 The fair continues to be an event much of Lethbridge and Southern Alberta’s music community look forward to attending to escape from reality for a few days. Chambers noted they are keeping the capacity at a comfortable 2,000-3,000 attendees.
“And that’s a comfortable number for our space,” Chambers said.

“It really has become a community. It’s like a family reunion. People come and see old friends again,” she said.
“ And we have 400 volunteers. So it’s great to not only have so many people who want to go to the fair, but who want it to be successful and want to help everything run smoothly,” she said.

 The 33rd year includes a lot of B.C. and Alberta Acts performing throughout the weekend, July 19-21 including familiar faces like Rancho Deluxe, Tara Warburton, Andrew Scott, Leeroy Stagger and Rebeltone Sound, Ryland Moranz plus some people who play here a lot like Blue Moon Marquee, Tom Phillips, Peter and the Wolves, Petunia and the Vipers and many more.

 Chambers said  she is looking forward to having Captain Tractor return. The Edmonton based Celtic rock/ folk rock band have been together since 1993 and spent last year touring  for their 25th anniversary.
“ We’ve been trying to get them back for years, but the scheduling has never worked out,” Chambers continued.
“ We booked the acts together,” Chambers said.

 She is looking forward to seeing illusionist Ron Pearson.
“ He’s an illusionist and magician. He’ll set up his own tent. He does everything with mirrors so there will be things alike a talking spider with a ladies’ head. he’ll have a talker outside like an old time carnival
 Gillian Moranz, who has been living in Vancouver booking acts for festivals like thew Vancouver Folk Festival noted she focussed on acts that she has personally seen play live or  come highly recommended.
“ There are a couple that I haven’t seen,” Moranz said, observing this line up is heavy on female performers.

“There is a very  strong female representation this year.  That wasn’t deliberate. We didn’t book them just because they were female and we needed female acts. We booked them because I had seen them live or people highly recommended them. there a re a lot of incredibly talented female performers,” she continued, noting one act she hasn’t seen, but is looking forward to seeing  is Revel in Dimes.
“They”’re a female fronted R and B  band who are from New York state and are very good,” she said. She has been booking the east stage for several years, but has to do it from afar.
“It’s nice to be back. Usually the Vancouver Folk Festival is on the same weekend, And I have to book  months in advance. This time I  was here for a month and could actually be here,” Moranz said, adding because she has been in Vancouver , a lot of the acts are from B.C.
“These acts are part of my daily work life,” she said.

“ We have a nice balance of B.C. Acts and local acts because it is important to support Western Canadian music,” she continued, adding she is looking forward to seeing Petunia and the Vipers again.
And another act she is looking forward to seeing is Jozy and the Fuzz.
“They’re a ukulele hip hop duo. I’ve never seen anything like them. But they come recommended by the Cumberland Wild Festival,” she said.
 Weekend passes are $116.94 in advance, $105.86 for students and seniors which includes camping.  There are also day passes and afternoon passes available. The day to day line up and ticket prices are available at http://southcountryfair.com/
All day pass $75 Student senior Friday evening pass $60, Senior Student Evening pass Saturday $60 Student Senior Saturday afternoon pass $0 Student Senior Sunday afternoon pass $40
Student Senior  all day pass $70

Friday
5 p.m. MC John Wort hannam/ Mayoral Address
5:15 Kidz Rock Camp
6:15 Slammers
6:30 workshop— Darling Won”t you Sng me A Love song with leaf Raspids, Dennis bouwman, Erin Kay
7:45: Ganges Delta
8:45 Emcee Kris Demeanor, Ali Stuart second place  songwriting competition winner
9 p.m. Leeroy Stagger
10:25 p.m. Blue Moon marquee
11:30 Peter and the Wolves
12:45 Revel in Dimes
Awareness tent Lotus land
5 p.m. Adult Choir rehearsal with in Cahoots
7 p.m.
 Noble Central Slammers Belinda Anker, Effie Shenton, Tere Jurado, Tristan Spencer, Molly Abouman
8 p.m. Madina Ali
9 p.m. Thorsten Nesch
11 p.m. Lethbridge Independent Film Society  presents animations, experimental films and late night spooks

Saturday
South stage:
Emcee Leeroy Stagger
11 a.m. Blackfoot Medicine Speaks
Noon NLA Workshop wothj Lise Scchultz
1 p.m.
 Sandra Lamouche Hoop dancing
1:30 p.m. Abigail Lapell
2:45: There’s A party Going on with Jack Garton, bad Buddy , Revel in Dimes
4 p.m. Volunteer photo
4:30 p.m. Emcee Andrew Scott
 Ryland Moranz
5:45 : Slammers
6 p.m.: Tom Phillips
7:15: Curt Young and the Healers
8:30 Emcee Ryland Moranz Joshua Bebee first place winner
9:45 p.m.: Jack Garton and Demon Squadron
10:50m Circus act Insomniacs
12:30 Captain Tractor

East Stage
11 a.m. Emcee mark Sadlier Brown
noon Songs of Sage advice Tom Phillips, Mark Sadlier Brown, Curt Young, Abigail Lapelle
1:05:Tara Warburton
2:30 p.m. Rancho Deluxe
3:24 Dennis Boumann
4:30 emcee Gillian Moranz
Jozy
5:35 Bad Buddy
Lotus Land
9 a.m. Twin hearts Meditation and Super brain yogawith Kurt and Patti
10 a.m. 26 Foundational Yoga poses with Martha Affleck
 Tibetian bowl meditation
11 a.,m. Conscious Connected Breathwoork with Giselle Gillard
noon Demo Thai Cooking with Krit Niamjin
1 p.m. Songwriting workshop with Curt Young and the Healers at awareness tipi
Ukulele workshop for beginniers with Andrew Scott
2 p.m. intro to hoop Dancing with sandra lamouche awareness tipi
3 p.m. Healing Energies and massage technique Mikka Corbeil
4 p.m. Psychic Sampler with Wendy Aikens
5 p.m. Adult Choir rehearsal with InCahoots
7 p.m. Adrienne Adams
8 p.m David Roberts
9 p.m. mel Vee
10 p.m. Lethbridge Independent Film Society  Saturday Summer Spooks

Sunday
South Stage
noon Ntlt Workshop with  Lise Schultz
1:30 p.m. Emcee Chris Wynters
 Adult Choir with In Cahoots
2 p.m. Los  Pachamamay Flor amargo
3:15 slammers
3:30 p.m. Emcee John Wort Hannam
Leaf Rapids
4:45 p.m. Family Values workshop with Captain Tractor, Gillian Moranz, Ryland Moranz Leeroy Stagger

East Stage
 noon Big Grass jam
1:30 nasti Weather and the False Predictions
2:10 p.m. Erin Kay
3:15: Here for an old Time not a longtime workshop with Petunia, Howlin Pete Cormier, Blue Moon Marquee
Lotus land
9 a.m. Twin hearts Meditation and the 5 Tibetians with Kurt and Patti
10 a.m. 26 Foundational Yoga poses with Martha Affleck
 Sound Healing drum journey and Psoas release and Giselle Gilliard Lotus land
11 a.m. Orthobionomy with Dannard Willikso Lotus land
noon Gorsa Detox Massage and Thai Massage basics with Sheena and Krit  Niamjin
1 p.m. Healing energies and  Massage Technique Mikka Corbeil Lotus land
2 p.m. BIG banishing for Big BS with Wendy Aikins Lotus land