Nitty Gritty Dirt Band final act at Countryfest

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The band that helped put Dauphin’s Countryfest on the map will bid a fond farewell to the jamboree June 30.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 02/04/2024 (867 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The band that helped put Dauphin’s Countryfest on the map will bid a fond farewell to the jamboree June 30.

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which headlined the inaugural Countryfest in 1990, will be the windup act at the 2024 event, which runs June 27-30. The group said earlier this year that its 2024 tour will be its last.

Texas neo-traditionalist Mark Chesnutt, Nashville artist Jo Dee Messina and Winnipeg’s Don Amero are also on the bill for the Sunday night.

SUPPLIED
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
SUPPLIED The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The mainstage shows begin Friday, June 28, with country crooner Clint Black headlining a lineup that includes Alberta singer Carolyn Dawn Johnson, the Great Canadian Road Trip — which brings together Portage la Prairie duo Doc Walker, Michelle Wright and Jason McCoy — and two other Manitoba acts, the C-Weed Band and Quinton Blair.

Alabama, the group that made the song Mountain Music a country anthem, take the stage at the Selo Ukraina amphitheatre June 29 for the first time since 1999.

The evening will have a retro vibe thanks to the Frontmen, a combo that includes ’90s hitmakers Larry Stewart of Restless Heart, Richie McDonald of Lonestar and Tim Rushlow of Little Texas. The 90s Country Ladies, which feature Patricia Conroy, Lisa Brokop and Beverley Mahood, are also on the bill, along with Nashville’s Diamond Rio and Winnipeg rockers Harlequin.

Tickets and weekend passes are on sale at countryfest.ca, which also has a schedule for its two hilltop stages.

— Staff

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