A small but mighty festival in Kelwood, Man., offers up the chance to slow down and reconnect, all in the company of top-notch local performers.

The Harvest Sun Music Festival was founded by Nadia Kuhl along with her husband Delano, and they’re now ringing in their 12th year. 

“We have had many wonderful experiences over the years - challenges, growing pains and of course the joys of festival life and seeing how it brings amazing things to our community,” Kuhl says.

Connecting to neighbours and rural producers is a key part of Harvest Sun. They showcase a “featured farmer” on their website - like quinoa growers Ryan Pengelly and Alexandra Lozada of Tamarack Farms in Erickson, Man.

“While our goal is to bring the arts to our rural area, we do so in order to draw attention to the amazing local growers and makers on our area - buying and listening local is the cornerstone of the Harvest Sun,” Kuhl says.

On the listening side, this year they’re featuring Iskwe, Don Amero, Scott Nolan, The Noble Thiefs, William Prince, Raine Hamilton, Carly Dow and many more.

The small site helps foster more of a community feeling at the festival, where kids can take part in different activities and wander about on their own. Harvest Sun embraces the slower pace of rural life and welcomes Manitobans from all over to join in.

“Our audience is as varied as the beautiful landscape of our province - we have many local people who support us, and we also have people from all over the province who drive and spend the (weekend) in our little corner of the world,” Kuhl says. 

“The Harvest Sun is like an amazing little pop-up community within our little village.”

WHEN Aug. 18 to 20

WHERE Kelwood, Man. 

$$$ Early bird adult weekend pass $80 until June 15. Camping pass $25-50; Youth and puppy passes available as well as camping packages

DON'T MISS Fare from local producers around Kelwood

WEBSITE harvestsun.com

Published in Volume 71, Number 27 of The Uniter (June 1, 2017)