springtimeinalberta - thoughts from the day after...

It was an event to remember. SERIOUSLY.

Double the crowd. The stage was AMAZING. At the tail end of the gig, I sat back on the hill with Uwe, and we watched a couple tunes, and the stage in total darkness was well... breathtaking.

Aside from a small tornado at the front gate (no, seriously), the weather was beautiful. The staff was phenomenal and made the work easy. The parking was ample, and it was a great great time.

Some highlights?

- Joe Public

- The stage was flawless and as a few of the guys form Joe Public put it? How could you NOT have fun up there.

- Marv Machura was great as always

- Celtic Fusion Illusion - kilts, pipes and all...

- The Heart Acres never sounded better.

- Uwe's mom showed and stayed for 6 hours and was SO proud of her boy!

- I had Ken's quad to ride all day while executing my "gopher" duty, and my feet STILL killed me, but what a day.

- Me and Mark Scholz from the A-Channel's Breakfast Television and CBC fame hung out. He's beyond cool as a person and it was great talking to him.

- the food was INSANELY good. The pig roast was awesome, and they made the best BBQ burgers.

All in all a GREAT time. I am hoping to get pictures posted soon... Stay tuned. But head over to the facebook hayloft group page to see some of the pics already up !

CityTV's "Breakfast Television" At The Hayloft

Stage Ready for Springtime Music Festival

Uwe stands by the Prairie Rose stage he and friends constructed to host this year s SpringtimeinAlberta.

One local man has constructed his dream in the form of a stage in a field.

Uwe has built it, will they come?

The Hayloft Acres, about five minutes outside of Sherwood Park, has hosted many music events over the years.

SpringtimeinAlberta, now in its seventh year, will be an outdoor show on Saturday, May 15, starting at 1 p.m., with the stage finished after eight years of construction.

Uwe said Nov. 2, 2002 was the start of the dream. A dry year, like this one, meant no one wanted to rent the pasture. He decided to turn the space to a stage.
He and his friends played every Tuesday and put their hard work into building the stage.

The headliner of SpringtimeinAlberta is Celtic Fusion Illusion, a 28-piece rock-Celtic group.

"It's going to be a huge show and really something for the County of Strathcona," he said. "I don't think we've ever had anything like this out here. They're the type of band that plays for the queen when she comes to town."

Uwe said they are the type of band you won't know the hit songs from, but it's more of a spectacle.

Joe Public, a rock group from Whitecourt; Scott Cook, a young up-and-coming artist; John Spearn, Canadiana musician, The HeartAcres, Uwe's band; Low Flying Planes, a group of young girls; Marv Machura; and Mandy McMillan will also play.

The Hayloft started in the mid-'80s as a recording studio.

"One thing leads to another and you start having parties and they start getting bigger and bigger and you meet some good people that are behind you and you just keep rolling with it," Uwe said.

Jam sessions in the 1990s turned into SpringtimeinAlberta seven years ago.

That led him to the largest musical festival he has ever put on. Construction of the stage started last year, but Uwe dug out the hillside and water body years ago.

"It's just been a waiting game," Uwe said. "It takes a lot of money, which acoustic guitar players don't have a lot of."

Previous SpringtimeinAlberta participants included local recording acts The Hootenannies, John Henry Band, and Junior Gone Wild.

Uwe said there have always been big turnouts for the festival, but the waves of people sometimes wane, requiring reinvention.

"You can only draw on the same crowd for so long," Uwe said.

Tickets are $25, or five for $100, in advance by calling 780-922-3968, or $30 at the gate. Hayloft Acres is located along Range Road 224 off of the Whitemud.

catherine@sherwoodparknews.com

Springtime in Alberta gets some press!

Don't forget to tune into Breakfast Television on Wednesday morning from 7 - 9 AM to check out more coverage on springtimeinalberta!

Springtime in Alberta... 8 short days away!

Live at the HAYLoft tonight....

Hay peeps...good day to you on this pleasant "SpringtimeinAlberta" day out there...are you still looklin for something to do tonite...well blow out this way and get out of the hurricane...gather around our wood burning stove and soak up some good vibes and livemusic and a room full of friendlys...featuring the "Marv Machura Band"..."the HeartAcres" and of course "the Monsterjam" after the show...wanna jam...get down and out tonite...

A quick reminder...

Hay everybody...well just a little reminder on the upcoming " LiveattheHAYLoft "...as always the doors are open at 6pm...music starts around 8:30...featuring our friend Marv Machura and his band of hombres...and... I'm thinkin' about the jam after the show...where I too will be able to play some guitar or drums with some of the boys and girls...so yeah..."webejammin"...and of course it goes without saying that "theHeartAcres" will be doing some of their favorites to open up...so come on out spend an evening in the country...with some great folks...supporting live music...see the progress of the " Prairie Rose " come early and say hello...see you Saturday...door $10...

ps...we will have tickets available on Saturday for "SpringtimeinAlberta " May 15-2010...

meantime check out our " SpringtimeinAlberta " feature video

I think some of you might be familiar with these lads :)

next " LiveattheHAYLoft "... April10-10

Well, hello to all you good people out there...I just wanna start up here on a very positive note...about the great weekend just passed...about the good work we got started on as we got back to work after a bit of a time off during our great Canadian winter...I love the smell of new lumber...the birds were singing...the grass on the hillside is just on the egde of starting up for another season...quite remarkable really this grass thing...maybe it's just me and my fascination about nature...and how it all came to be in such a natural way...how it all fits together...kinda like finding that elusive groove at a jam with a bunch of guys and everybody knows their part in a natural unrehearsed way type thing...I love Nature...and I even got invited out for supper...twice...wow it doesn't get much better than that...from a Jack to a King...and all because of my acoustic guitar...imagine that...me singin for you...

as the most of you know we have " SpringtimeinAlberta " on our minds around here these days...and it all feels real good...it's gonna be the biggest day that we will have ever had the priviledge to be able to be involved with...and on sooo many levels...makes me glad for my high level of managing skills I acquired from the good folks at "NAIT"...circa 1973...blahblahblah...

but first I gotta tell you all about the doo out here for April 10...as some of you know we've been kinda on the lookout for that special formula to keep the magic of "theHAYLoft" alive...and well we're on the verge of implementing new ways of running the show "...without having to compromise...and, keeping music alive and well for you who come to see what's happening "LiveattheHAYLoft"...

so without boring you to death...I must say that we have re-incorporated the very popular " MonsterJam " at the end of the evening...so if you wanna play get in touch and you won't have to pay to play...

so by popular demand we welcome back "the Marv Machura Band" which is perfect for us as Marv has been a huge part of the way we do things around here...and so on the eve of our 7th annual "SpringtimeinAlberta "...I remember well, the evening when Marv and I sat around playing a little guitar, having a cool one, drawin in the vibe and along the way I said something like ..." hay man we should do something on a annual basis...and without hesitation he said...yeah... and we should call it SpringtimeinAlberta...

and so as we get ready to have our last indoor affair for a while and move to the hillside with our brand new stage "the Prairie Rose"...it seems nothin but fittin to have a little "Hello Goodbye" party with theHAYLofts favorite bunch of bad boys..."the Marv Machura Band"...a good time to be had without being bad...come early have a brew from our fully stocked cashbar and watch the sun go down in the country as another evening of live music is gettin ready to start...doors open 6pm...music starts around 8pm...$10 door...support live music...do it at theHAYLoft

...check out the pics & we'll keep em updated as the days roll...till next time Uwe and the HAYLoftgang...

.: click the thumbnails to make 'em big :.

Directions to HAYLoft Acres...

We've got a map published for you all over on the right with directions on how to get out here from Edmonton's illustrious Whitemud Freeway. Just click the link on the right side bar to be taken to a google map page you print out :)

- Mike

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT !!!

Well, hay good people...another " LiveattheHAYLoft " a night of live music... comin' up this Saturday night, March the 20th... where your never quite sure what's about to happen on the HAYLoftstage...from ghosts in the machine to magic in the air...spend an evening in the country...hook up with a room full of friendly folks...fully stocked cashbar...$10 door...support live music..."do it at theHAYLoft"...

And, as promised in our last email...we have now made final arrangements for our headliner act for " SpringtimeinAlberta "on May 15...and we will be announcing it all at the party so be there see what we're cookin' at "theHAYLoft"

Here's a little clip to get you into the "let's go to the country" mood...hope you like it...see you Saturday...

CLICK HERE FOR THE CLIP !

Uwe and the HAYLoftgang...

All we are saying...

From the HAYLoft man himself...

Good day everyone...hope things are good in your world...

just a little update on our first "LiveattheHAYLoft" of the year and first one in a long while due to life and stuff...and of course construction and reconstruction...of the inside and outside stages...but it looks like we're back in the groove of...the groove...

we had a great evening last Saturday...plenty of folks who came to hear theMusic...some were new and some were faces we hadn't seen for a while so thank you to everyone who came to spend your time with us...and layin your hard earned money down...supporting live music...

I must give a shout out to Todd Oeming...aka..."T.O."... for his on the money Snow removal...and well just being a friend of theHAYLoft...big thanks to Dean Pratt for settin up our wireless big screen projector...Jimmy for printing the HeartAcres new posters and for handling the door...the multi tasker that he is...

as far as the musical stage went...other than a couple ghosts in the machines...it all went great ...special thanks to Cathy Kowalski for opening the evening on her acoustic guitar...Winston Quelch sat in with my band theHeartAcres and well played awesome...thanks buddy...

and of course the mighty " Nine Lives " rounded off the night to everyones delight...and they even let me play a few numbers at the end of the night...thanks to everyone who came out...see you soon...Uwe and theHAYLoftgang

and oh I almost forgot...we even had our first newborn emergency...we hope all is well

- Uwe

The aftermath

I couldn't be at The HAYLoft on Saturday night... I haven't spoken to the man of the hour since either. Hasn't been answering the phone.. Hmmmmmm. Hope that all is well.

Anyways, here's the man of the hour...



I hope to get his account of the evening and some possible pics and multimedia posted as soon as he gets it to me... If anyone was there and wants to comment, click the comment link or email me pics of recounts of the evenings events, and I will post them here !

Thanks all :)

More Neil for your weekend enjoyment...

As seen on the Johnny Cash show.

Some random shots - Springtime in Alberta 2009

And the days pass... Uwe and Winston Quelch... Live at the HAYLoft.

Outdoor stage progress...

This blogging thing is pretty interesting!

Well folks, today is kind of a legendary day !

Today is the day that the HAYLoft got blogging. It's been years and a long time coming, but it's here.

In conjunction with our Facebook group, we will have tidbits, photos, videos, mp3's, and event announcements for upcoming do's at the HAYLoft.

We'd like to thank Blogger for the room, cbox for the interactive chat, feedjit for the stats monitoring, and .tk for the free domain. Proof positive that good things CAN come from a free internet !

Stick with us as we grow, stay tuned, and feel free to drop comments anytime you like !

Welcome to HayloftAcres.

Welcome to the official launch of the HAYLoft Acres website!

Stay tuned for the excitement!