Country music fans in Brandon and area take note as Doc Walker and Madeline Merlo are heading to Riding Mountain National Park to play a FREE outdoor concert.  The show goes down Saturday, August the 26th.  Start time 7:00 pm.

Brandon, MB – Summer in Brandon may be almost half over, but the music of this year’s “Summer Lights” is carrying on with another evening concert series performance set for Princess Park on August 17th, followed by the all-day Summer Lights Music Festival on September 9th! The last of this year’s three Summer Lights Concert Series performances comes to Princess Park in downtown Brandon on Thursday, August 17th, featuring Saskatchewan-based folk duo Kacy and Clayton, and guest Brandon’s own Shotgun Jimmie. Fresh off a tour with the band Wilco, Kacy and Clayton will bring a self-described contradictory style of music that is “psychedelic and traditional, contemporary and vintage, melancholy and joyous.” Meanwhile, Shotgun Jimmie’s unique “one-man-band” performance has endeared him as one of Brandon’s favourite musicians. The FREE evening performance on August 17th runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Princess Park, with free bannock and local honey available for those in attendance. In the event of inclement weather, the concert performance will take place at Knox United Church, located at 451- 18th Street. But the Summer Lights stage won’t go dark after this performance, as community organizers are just putting the final touches on the lineup for this year’s all-day Summer Lights Music Festival, set for Saturday, September 9th “under the trees” at Brandon’s Keystone Centre. Now in its second year, the Summer Lights Music Festival operates as a community not-for-profit event with support from the City of Brandon’s Community Development section. Confirmed as headliners for the September festival include Winnipeg indie outfit Royal Canoe, Vancouver-based indie pop band The Zolas, and Juno-winning folk-country singer-songwriter William Prince of Winnipeg. Other artists on the bill include JP Hoe, Dave Quanbury, Sweet Alibi, Richard Inman, Lanikai, Shotgun Jimmie, Fontine, Katie MacDonald, Hannah Selyn, Natalie Bohrn, and Kenzie Friesen, along with yoga sessions led by Riley Swarbick. Advance tickets are priced at $30 for adults and $20 for students, and are available beginning Thursday, August 3rd at following businesses: Fraser Sneath Coffee, Ted Good Music, and Surridge’s Music Centre (Brandon), Poor Michael's Bookstore (Onanole), Music Trader and Thom Bargen Coffee & Tea (Winnipeg). Tickets are also available at the gate on the day of the festival at a cost of $35 for adults and $25 for students. More information on the 2017 Summer Lights Festival, including a full performance schedule and on-site camping and food and vendor information, can be found at http://summerlightsmusicfestival.com/.

Organizers of Brandon's first ever Food Truck Warz are revving up for the fall spectacular by announcing two new food trucks who will be rolling into town for two days in September. A Little Pizza Heaven and Healthy Eats join an already impressive lineup of vendors confirmed for the event. A Little Pizza Heaven One of the most requested food trucks we were asked to bring to Brandon was a truck that served pizza, and we are pleased to introduce A Little Pizza Heaven to our inaugural event. This mobile pizzeria is an extension of their three brick and mortar pizza locations in Winnipeg. Among the pizza offerings is the Chicken & Spinach Pomodoro which is topped with chicken breast, diced spinach, tomatoes, feta and mozzarella. They are best known in Winnipeg for adding garlic butter and salt to the crust, a favorite of the city's late night pub crawlers. Look for them also to be serving up a variety of wings and salads as well. Healthy Eats Healthy Eats will be in the Victoria Inn parking lot serving healthy food truck fare that is both nutritious and delicious. They specialize in a variety of sandwiches, wraps, and salads including many vegan and gluten free options. Healthy Eats also features sides you may not find at any other truck including a fruit & yogurt parfait, fruit cups and veggies and dip. Meat lovers will enjoy their Bifana sandwich...a spicy Portuguese sandwich made of a boneless pork chop marinated in Portuguese spices with roasted white onion, banana peppers, on a fresh Portuguese bun.

The 40 has just informed bdnmb.ca that they have signed an exciting new show set to hit their stage on Friday, August the 25th. Vegas Country-a Tribute to Shania Twain and Tim McGraw is an energetic show that includes the beautiful and talented Canadian Donna Huber as Shania Twain, as well as Nashville recording artist and Las Vegas entertainer Adam Tucker as Tim McGraw. Donna Huber is regarded in many circles as the worlds #1 tribute to Shania Twain while Adam has opened for the likes of Taylor Swift, Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan. The two first appeared together as separate acts in the spectacular Las Vegas Show “American Country Superstars”. If you love country you won't want to miss this show. Tickets are only $20 (plus GST) and available at the front desk of the Trails West Motor Inn, or else inside the 40. Show night the doors will open at 9:00 pm with the show getting underway at 10:30 pm.

When bdnmb.ca first announced we were hosting a Food Truck Warz event in Brandon, one of the most requested food tucks people asked us to bring to town was a grilled cheese food truck. Well your request has been fulfilled as PVG's Breakfast Club, one of the more popular Winnipeg food trucks, will be coming to Brandon serving up a variety of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, french toast grilled cheese sandwiches, breakfast burgers, and poutines. Those of you zeroing in on some cheesy goodness won't have to search too hard to find this vendor. The truck, wrapped in images of the cast of the popular 80's movie The Breakfast Club, will be among the more uniquely decorated trucks participating in this years event. Be sure to make your way down to the Victoria Inn's parking lot on Saturday, September 16th, and Sunday, September the 17th as the PVG's Breakfast Club food truck will be giving the people of Brandon what they have been missing....fresh, hot, and most importantly. CHEESY, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches.