The Back 40 Folk Festival is looking back at their successes while looking forward to their 30th anniversary coming up this year.

Scott Bell is the chairperson for the Back 40 and says "it's a nice anniversary to have. The fact that the festival itself has been going on for thirty years, that's a bit of a milestone."

He says they are working hard to keep supporting a space where local artists can perform for other musicians, as well as the public.

"Our seventies show was very well attended, we were really pleased with that," notes Bell. As a non-profit organization, the festival relies on events like this to help run more events in the future.

Specific events like the 70's Show often target the audience age of 40-plus, but Bell says they're also working to find a balance between an already dedicated crowd of supporters and the younger crowd of performers in the area.

"We're really trying to create opportunities for young performers, so we're encouraging that wherever we can. We're trying to get them involved with basically every production we put on whether it's a coffee house, or a tribute show, or the Back40 itself. It's always been a priority to give opportunities to young performers," says Bell.

He says they are also anticipating some great performers that will be added to the line-up for next summer's festival, and their spring fundraising concert.

There are some exciting announcements coming in the new year, but for anyone itching to find out what is coming next, there are some plans in the works to celebrate their anniversary. "We're looking at having a gallery show in Winkler with a retrospective of all the festivals in years past, and then have some live music tied in with that," says Bell.