Get ready to do the boot scootin’ boogie.
The Open Country Singing Contest is back this weekend.
It’s the Nipissing Country Music Association’s 32nd event being hosted at the Bill Barber Complex in Callander.
Officials say there were several reasons for the event’s hiatus in recent years.
“COVID obviously was the major factor,” says Darlene Forth, Acting Association President. “Fundraising became extremely difficult for us because of COVID. A lot of things that you couldn’t do. Situations within the association of people not being well and people passing it just took a lot of time to get back to where we wanted to be.”
She adds contestants are coming from several areas.
“From Southern Ontario, like Guelph and Barrie,” Forth says. “We’ve had contestants register from New Brunswick and up north, the Timmins area. It’s well known throughout. As far as North Bay there are a few but there are equally as many from the outlying area.”
Admission is free to the three-day event, with the preliminaries starting at 11 am on Friday.
Semi-finals start at 11 am on Saturday with the finals beginning at noon on Sunday.
There’s also food available for purchase and a bar inside the community centre.
Officials say bring a lawn chair, as there’s no seating available to watch the performances.
