Campers From Across the Country Gear Up for WE Fest 2019

The festival kicks off tomorrow

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. — Country fans have their cowboy hats out and are gathering in Detroit Lakes for WE Fest.

Bruce Sostak of Plano, Texas has been coming to WE Fest for years. It all started when he heard about it from a friend.

“She said she was coming to WE Fest, I asked, ‘what’s WE Fest?’ and she told me and I said I would be there shortly,” he said.

The rest is history. He’s been driving from Texas year after year, and it’s become quite a tradition.

He says the country scene where he lives is more focused on local bands, so he likes seeing the bigger names Detroit Lakes.

“I can see more shows for 10 times less money than I can in the Dallas metro,” he said.

Though one year there were lots of familiar performers at WE Fest.

“It’s pretty sad when you come 900 miles to see three Texas bands you could see in your backyard. Here it’s more the national country, and I like it and I like coming up here, sit back, enjoy the camping and watching the music,” he said.

“Any of the big concerts we have there are very commercial. Out here it feels a lot more like you’re just coming to hang out with people you know. It’s not near as organized and strict,” Audie Bradshaw of Dallas, Texas said.

The temperature in Lakes Country is also a bit more bearable than it is in Texas right now.

“It’s awesome, it’s a lot of fun, the camping is just as much fun, and you get to come out here and just relax, just get away. Especially from Texas where we just hit a 100 so it’s 75, 76 up here,” Bradshaw said.

Besides the music, the festival is a great way to mix and mingle.

“Walking around, meeting new people, new people are stopping by, just having a good time,” Dan Fischer of Fargo said.

For more information on WE Fest and to see the full lineup, click here.