The Homestand series of concerts are Moose Jaw’s own home-grown charity event benefiting the mental wellness of youth throughout southern Saskatchewan.
The next concert is Homestand ’23 on Saturday, September 9 in Ross Wells Park. Homestand ’23 will feature headliner Corb Lund and his band The Hurtin’ Albertans, the Mike Plume Band, Lindi Ortega, and Jordyn Pollard.
Tickets are available from Sasktix.ca.
Homestand was first created in 2021 by River Street Promotions, a volunteer-driven non-profit group. The original RSP group of five friends were experienced fundraisers who decided to pool their effort and talent to put on a truly impressive show. They committed to fair pay for the artists, full involvement from and with the community, and donating all profits to a worthy cause.
They chose the traditional weekend of the Banjo Bowl, a long-running annual rematch between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Concert tickets entitled fans to show up to Ross Wells Park early to watch the Banjo Bowl live on two giant screens, with the concert to follow the game.
That first concert was Homestand ’21, featuring Barney Bentall and The Caribou Express, Nice Horse, JJ Shiplett, Dustin Bentall, and Kacy and Clayton.
It profited $65,000 — $15,000 went to Ross Wells Park to help with maintenance, upkeep, and beautification, while the remaining $50,000 established the RSP Mental Health Wellness Fund to help Moose Jaw and district school divisions support student and parent mental wellness.
Homestand ’22 expanded on the success of the first year. With more time to plan and less pandemic-related disruptions, an expanded RSP crew brought Matt Mays, Chilliwack, Nice Horse, and JJ Voss to rock the park.
That second year involved over 100 additional volunteers and a much bigger crowd and raised $100,000. Again, $15,000 was donated to Ross Wells Park, with the remaining $85,000 going to the RSP Mental Health Wellness Fund.
The school divisions benefiting from the RSP fund are the Prairie South School Division and the Holy Trinity Catholic School Division. Representatives from those divisions have praised River Street Promotions and expressed their gratitude for the numerous events, initiatives, programs, and speakers that have resulted from the fund.
The third concert of the tradition promises to be bigger than ever, with a festival-like atmosphere including food trucks, vendors, bouncy castles, and beverages.
If you’re in Moose Jaw in September or contemplating a visit, Homestand ’23 is not to be missed.
