The organizing drive for the inaugural Mountain View Rocks festival on July 14 is on target.
Organizing committee officials are hoping a crowd of up to 2,000 people will ultimately cram Didsbury's Memorial Park to hear the tunes of Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd.
“For the first year we are on schedule. We would have liked to have been ahead of schedule,” said Kathleen Windsor, chair of the Mountain View Arts Society which is overseeing the event. “We are planning for a crowd of 1,500 but we are sure we have room for 2,000.”
The event is being held following last year's successful Alberta Arts Days which featured a mini concert. It will also feature a beer garden, food vendors, an artisan and commercial market as well as face painting and balloon artists.
Deborah Patten, who is chairing the event, said she is hoping to see the festival become a permanent annual event, noting it is the society's mission to bring more art to the community.
“We are excited to showcase up and coming bands,” said Patten. “It is obviously a learning curve but we fully expect it will be a success.”
Windsor said the event is being held on a $60,000 budget, which the organizing committee is raising through $30 ticket sales and fundraising. She said the town has provided the venue free of charge and is supplying other amenities.
“The town has been 100 per cent behind this event,” she said. “It is so important we promote these young people and independent artists. We need the party.”
She said a full slate of bands has been booked. It is expected that nine bands will perform through the event. One of the bands booked is Airdrie's Storm. Other confirmed groups include pop rockers Seventh Rain, Promise Revoked and Broken Heroes.
However, it is considered a coup for organizers to have landed Nick Gilder and Sweeney Todd, musical acts that have excited rock fans since the 1970s, winning Juno Awards along the way.
Windsor added that while there are still plenty of tickets remaining, she is urging music enthusiasts to get them early.
For more information on Mountain View Rocks visit the website at www.mountainviewrocks.com
