A trail of campers, RVs and trailers made their way to Craven on Wednesday, in preparation for the four day non-stop celebration that is Country Thunder Saskatchewan.

The country music festival returns once again to the valley – this year celebrating its one millionth fan.

Whomever happens to be the lucky attendee will be awarded with two platinum experience passes and artist hospitality access for life – along with other prizes.

“I mean the people that have been here before know that this is something really hard to explain unless you’ve actually experienced it but we’ve got all the music Friday, Saturday, Sunday on our main stage,” Digital Manager Megan Benoit told CTV News.

“We’ve also got our beer gardens and our songwriter stage so really entertainment for everyone on all three of those stages.”

Synonymous with the festival is the high temperatures predicted for the weekend.

The festival’s medical team shared some advice for those spending their weekend in the valley.

“Find some shade. Keep yourself hydrated. Make sure that you’re eating properly, because your body is going to burn the fuel a lot faster than this heat,” Health and Safety Manager Belinda Mitchell explained.

“Make sure you’re wearing a hat, sunglasses. Make sure you get those fluids in you to go with the alcohol.”

For many attendees, it is far from their first rodeo.

That’s the case for Jim Monaghan. He’s attended the past 14 Country Thunder Saskatchewan festivals – and has the wristbands to prove it.

He shared some tips he’s picked up over the years.

“Buy a good generator, bring lots of gas, bring lots of drinks, some refreshments, and make sure the power is working for the heat,” he said. “Friends of ours bring a foot pool. At minimum throw some ice in there, leave your feet in there.”

Festivities begin on Thursday, with Dallas Smith headlining on Friday night, followed by Nickelback on Saturday. Luke Combs will close out the weekend Sunday night.

Country music star Luke Bryan took a tumble while on stage in Vancouver on Saturday night, and he and fans laughed it off.

The singer and American Idol judge was in town for the Coast City Country Festival at B.C. Place, a stop on his “Mind of a Country Boy Tour.”

Videos on social media show the fall unfold—Bryan is seen walking across the stage, when his feet suddenly go up from under him and he lands flat on his back.

It appears he slipped on a fan’s phone, as he holds it up and jokes “my lawyer will be calling” before throwing it to someone in the crowd.

Bryan then asks if anyone caught the bail on camera. An audience member passes their phone to him, and he replays the video for the crowd.

“I need some viral,” he says. “This is viral!”

Coast City Country wrapped up on Saturday, when Bryan headlined the main stage following Nickelback on Friday.

A Saskatchewan-born country singer has plans to put out a new album this spring, describing it as “the breakup album I didn’t know I was writing.”

Tenille Arts, originally from Weyburn, posted online that her next album, titled “To Be Honest”, is set for release May 3.

Several of the tracks are already available on various music streaming platforms, including a duet with LeAnne Rimes titled “Jealous of Myself.”

“I owe you guys something real, and I owe myself something real,” Arts wrote in her announcement post. “I love you all and I cannot wait for you to hear these 14 songs.”

“To Be Honest” will be the 29-year-old’s fourth full-length album, and her first since 2021’s “Girl to Girl”, which was nominated for Country Album of the Year at the following year’s Juno Awards.