Thousands made their way to where the two rivers meet this past weekend, as Mattawa Voyageur Days came into full effect. The weather was great, the bands were hot, and the downtown was filled with weekend revellers.
Around the blocks, you could see many a trailer parked at a friend’s or family member’s home, as the weekend serves as the perfect homecoming for many Mattawa folks, far and wide.
“This year’s festival was a big success and the planning committee could not be happier with the turnout,” noted Chelsey Grant, Mattawa’s Communications Coordinator. Fans packed the concert grounds on Friday night and the mechanical bull on site was a hit.
“The music was fantastic all weekend,” Grant emphasized. Indeed, with a mix of local and more established touring acts, there was something to appease all musical tastes.
See: Blue Rodeo and Trooper headline Voyageur Days Festival
Some lightning cooled things down on stage on Sunday, but after a 30-minute delay, the danger moved along and the tunes carried on.
“Mattawa Voyageur Days means so much to the small community of Mattawa,” Grant said. “Not only is it a homecoming for so many people from the area, but the economic spin-off this festival brings every year to this town is huge.”
Hotels, restaurants, campgrounds, resorts, chip stands, and ice cream shops all reap the rewards of the event. People sell woodworking from their front yards along the busy streets, vendors set up throughout the event, and wherever money usually flows, that flow increases significantly over Voyageur Days weekend.
“Many jobs are created to ensure the concert grounds are a safe place and that everyone enjoys themselves while they are here in Mattawa,” Grant emphasized. “Feedback we hear every year is that our staff and volunteers are amazing and go above and beyond to make sure that everyone is having a great time.”
As usual, fireworks closed the event.
“There is a lot of hard work, long hours, and dedication that the team members put into planning and implementing this event,” Grant said, “And for me standing back and watching the crowd dance along to our local band Roadhouse on Saturday night during their last song was so rewarding.”
“We do all this hard work and long hours for our community that we love,” she added and hopes to carry on the tradition for many years to come.
Next year will mark 25 years, and the word is, 2024 Voyageur Days is going to be one to remember.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
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