April 13, 2018 (Dauphin MB) -- Dauphin’s Countryfest is pleased to release the full-line up of artists slated toperform at Canada’s longest running country music festival, taking place June 28-July 1. Countryfest promoter Rob Waloschuk is pleased with this year’s lineup: “We’ve got a great mix of country, rock, blues and roots, for a well-rounded music weekend, and something for everyone. We’re looking forward to another terrific Canada Day long weekend in Dauphin.”   COUNTRYFEST ARTISTS FOR 2018 **Denotes artist has already been announced ** Eric Church ** Florida Georgia Line ** Paul Brandt ** Luke Combs ** Midland ** Dallas Smith ** High Valley ** James Barker Band ** Lindsay Ell ** The Road Hammers ** Aaron Pritchett ** Emerson Drive ** Bobby Wills ** Aaron Goodvin ** Honeymoon Suite ** The Headpins ** River Town Saints ** Johnson Crook ** Leaving Thomas ** Nice Horse ** Leanne Pearson **Dan Davidson ** Doc Yates ** Chris Henderson ** Richard Farrow Band Joe Nolan Petric Kevin Mills Desiree Dorion JR Gone Wild Longshot The Middle Coast Altameda Band of Rascals Attica Riots Kevin Roy David James Russell Lee Kayla Luky Tyler Del Pino Shantaia Nicole Rayy Drew Gregory Poets and Lies Past The Perimeter Megan Nash Snake Oil Mariel Buckley Ken Stead Wendell Ferguson Kenny Shaw Wreckin So DJ Skene LIMITED TICKETS & CAMPING REMAINING A limited number of weekend passes, VIPs, camping and day passes remain for the 2018 Dauphin’s Countryfest.Tickets can be purchased online at www.countryfest.ca, by calling 1-800-361-7300, or in-person at the Dauphin’s Countryfest office (28 2nd Avenue NE in Dauphin). Ticket prices increase on May 1.

British Columbia rapper Madchild will be hitting the stage at The 40 on Tuesday, July the 17th.   The stop in Brandon is just one of many on his newly announced 40-date Canadian tour titled "It's a Mad World".   The tour is in support of his latest LP The Darkest Hour.   After many successful years with hip-hop group, Swollen Members, Madchild creatively branched out as a solo artist in 2012 with his debut title track,"Dope Sick."    The show is being hosted by Prairie Dawg Entertainment who tell bdnmb.ca that this will be the biggest show they have promoted to date in Brandon.  Advance tickets are only $25.00 while tickets at the door show night will set you back $30.00. Contact Prairie Dawg Entertainment for tickets.  Doors open at 8:30, show over by 11:00 pm.

This bi-annual competition is a celebration of Ukrainian dance that showcases the artistic and cultural expressions of this form of dance. This year over 1000 dancers and instructors from 32 clubs throughout Manitoba & Saskatchewan will attend! The event will showcase more than 420 dances throughout the weekend. The club began hosting the event in 2000. They welcome members of the general public to attend to enjoy the culture (various displays and vendors), the dancing and the music. WHEN: Friday, April 13: 10 am – 9 pm Saturday, April 14: 8:30 am – 10:00 pm Sunday, April 15: 8:30 am – 5 pm WHERE: Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium 205-20th Street Admission Fees: Friday $10 Saturday $10 Sunday $10 Weekend Pass $25 *Children 10 & under are free.

Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School Dinner Theatre showcases the diverse talents of our students.  This year, Crocus proudly presents the musical Footloose. A city teenager moves into a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes us the populace.   When Ren and his mother move from Chicago to a small farming town, Ren is prepared for the adjustment to his new high school. What he isn't prepared for are the local laws - including a ban on dancing - which are the brainchild of a local preacher bent on exercising control over the town's youths. When the Reverend's rebellious daughter sets her heart on Ren, her boyfriend tries to sabotage Ren's reputation and many of the locals are eager to believe the worst about the new kid. With its Oscar'-nominated hit score, the celebrated film musical now bursts explosively onto the stage.   To accompany the entertainment, the award-winning Crocus Plains Culinary Arts Department will create a delectable three-course meal.   Seating is limited to 160 guests per show, so be sure to get your tickets as soon as possible. Tickets, at $35 per adult are available at the Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School front office. Please inform us of any special dietary concerns when purchasing tickets. Advance sales only. Dates: May 10-12, 2018 Evening performances: Seating at 6:15 pm. Show starts at 6:30 pm. Saturday matinee performance: Seating at 12:15 pm. Show starts at 12:30 pm. Tickets: $35 per person. Tickets are available at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in the main office beginning Monday, April 2, 2018 Location: MNP Hall, Keystone Centre

BRANDON, Man. (March 21, 2018)— Puzzle-lovers and investigative minds in the Westman region can now channel their inner Sherlock Homes or Nancy Drew to solve the mystery of a long-forgotten college romance. Assiniboine Community College and Escape: The Final Countdown have partnered to bring the province’s first post-secondary escape room experience to the public. “Even though we design all of our full-hour and portable escape rooms ourselves right here in house, we have never been challenged with designing one like this,” said Michelle Budiwski, owner of Escape: The Final Countdown. Groups of six to 12 players have only 60 minutes to solve the mystery inside the storyline of their first-day orientation at college. The task at hand? Players must unlock a series of challenges to uncover the identity of their father, an Assiniboine alumnus. Creative thinking, problem solving and communication are all put to the test in this entertaining, light-hearted storyline. “As a college, we’re always looking for new, creative ways to be out in the communities we serve and celebrating students and graduates, all while having a lot of fun,” said Danielle Adriaansen, director of public affairs at Assiniboine. “We had a terrific time working with Michelle and her hardworking team as they took the lead writing the storyline from start to finish and building the room.” And true to the college’s ‘learn by doing’ mantra, a few students pitched in to help the Escape staff build the room, with Carpentry & Woodworking students painting the space and Piping Trades students constructing and installing one of the room’s puzzles. “They have been amazing to work with and actually having things in the room that were built by current students as well as highlighting some of their actual alumni and our game itself is priceless!" said Budiwski. The room was launched earlier this month and will be available for bookings over the coming months. Those interested in learning more or booking a group time to play can visit thefinalcountdown.ca. As an added bonus to current Assiniboine students, they’ll receive $5 off the price of playing just by showing their student card