BIGGAR, Sask. — The sound of polkas, waltzes and fiddles filled the streets of Biggar this past weekend, as the town played host to the inaugural Biggar Old Time Music Festival — a celebration aimed at reviving and preserving Saskatchewan’s fading folk music and dance traditions.
Organized by the newly formed Biggar Old Time Music Festival Committee (BOTMFC), a subcommittee of the Biggar Saturday Night Dance Club, the event was launched in response to a noticeable post-pandemic decline in old-time music scenes across the province.
“For more than 35 years, we’ve kept this music going in Biggar,” organizers said. “But after COVID, the crowds weren’t coming back like they used to. This festival was our way of bringing the music — and the people — back together.”
Miguel Fenrich, chair of the festival committee, called the weekend “an unqualified success,” noting that attendees came from 42 different communities across Saskatchewan and Alberta — from Grand Prairie to Hudson Bay, Estevan to Meadow Lake.
“It was really amazing. This was the best foundation we could have built for future years,” said Fenrich. “The support we received, not just locally but from all over the province, is the reason it was so successful.”
The weekend festival featured performances from some of Saskatchewan’s most beloved old-time musicians. On Friday night, Norm & the Golden Aces, Dennis Ficor, and fan-favourite Leon Ochs drew crowds to the Biggar Community Hall, where couples took to the floor for dance lessons and stayed late thanks to a midnight lunch and shuttle service running until 1 a.m.
Saturday brought even more music and community spirit. Sylvia Schira and Prince Albert fiddler Dean Bernier — a multi-award-winning musician and humanitarian — took the stage, along with accordionist Tom Reinhardt of Humboldt, who once played with polka legend Frankie Yankovic. A 1950s-themed canteen added a retro twist, while pancake breakfasts kept festivalgoers fuelled through full days of live music, dancing and shopping.
Families flocked to the free play area and vintage market at Jubilee Stadium, while history buffs explored the Biggar Museum and Gallery’s special exhibit on the region’s musical legacy.
Fenrich said the festival’s highlight was not just the intergenerational turnout, but a Sunday performance by the J. LaValley Band, which closed with a COVID-era original that earned a standing ovation.
“Youth were a big part of this,” he said. “We had young adults from Saskatoon, toddlers, kindergarteners, 12-year-olds — and that was a huge part of our goal: revitalization. And it worked.”
The volunteer-run, unincorporated non-profit leaned on donations, sponsorships and community support to bring the vision to life. More than 35 communities were represented, with many attendees calling it a much-needed revival of Saskatchewan’s rural cultural heritage.
“This wasn’t just about dancing,” one participant said. “It was about reconnecting with our roots — with the music our grandparents listened to, the dances they taught us, and the sense of community that comes with it.”
With three final performances, a silent auction, and one last pancake breakfast, the weekend wrapped up on a high note — and with plans already stirring for the next edition.
“We’d like to bring it back next year,” Fenrich said. “We just need a bit of rest and a few more committee members. If anyone’s interested, we’d love for them to reach out.”
Volunteers can contact the committee by emailing oldtimefestival@gmail.com or by calling 306-937-2158.