WE Fest 40th Birthday Bash is tonight

May 30, 2023

DETROIT LAKES — Morgan Wallen. Brad Paisley. Kane Brown. And more than a dozen others.

Some of the biggest names to grace the country music charts in recent memory are headed to Detroit Lakes this week, for WE Fest 2023.

Located at the Soo Pass Ranch, a sprawling, 500-acre property just south of town, the outdoor music festival has taken place on the first weekend in August, every year since 1983 — save one.

"Technically, it's 41 years, but we didn't have a show in 2020," says WE Fest General Manager Mark Bjerke. "So this is our 40th anniversary, and we're going to celebrate it."

WE Fest's "40th Birthday Bash" is set to get underway tonight (Aug. 2) at 6 p.m.

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The birthday party will feature a performance by multi-platinum, Los Angeles-based Cheat Codes, an internationally known musical trio with hits in electronic, dance, pop and most recently, country genres. Gates open at 6 p.m., with Cheat Codes performing at 8 p.m. Fresh off their newest release, "One Night in Nashville," attendees will experience why the trio has a total streaming tally of over 6 billion plays.

In addition, attendees will have the opportunity to win prizes, enjoy WE Fest food vendors and drink specials, and view the 40th Anniversary WE Fest Family Photo Album on the Jumbotron. This presentation is a compilation of archived performance photos and photos submitted by WE Fest fans throughout its history. DJ B-Rock will also be playing the WE Fest 40th Birthday Playlist, featuring WE Fest performers through the decades.

Also, everyone that attends the Wednesday event will be entered into a drawing to win a three-year lease on a brand-new Ford F-150 pickup, courtesy of Northland Ford.

Then on Thursday, Aug. 3, the festival officially gets underway, with Billboard 200 chart-topper Wallen set to headline the first day's lineup. Paisley will headline Friday's performances, while Brown will close out the festival on Saturday night.

Landing the red-hot Wallen — whose "One Thing at a Time" spent a record 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 album chart this year, before being toppled by Taylor Swift's "Midnights" in June — undoubtedly contributed to the brisk ticket sales for this year's festival. All VIP and most reserved seating for the festival is sold out, as are many of the campgrounds. General admission tickets, and a limited number of reserved lawn seats, are still available online at wefest.com until noon Thursday, after which ticket sales will move to on-site only. Sales of camping access passes and campsites were set to move to on-site only at 9 a.m. today.

On-site parking is also at a premium this week, but fear not: The WE Fest Shuttle to and from Detroit Lakes will be up and running starting at noon on Thursday.

Day parking for shuttle riders is free at the Becker County Fairgrounds (1310 Rossman Ave, Detroit Lakes). Those who purchase a three-day wristband ($25) or one-day pass ($10) will enjoy unlimited rides to and from WE Fest, in shuttles provided courtesy of the Detroit Lakes Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"We partner with Anderson Bus Service (which provides both buses and drivers for the event)," said Chamber President Carrie Johnston, adding that shuttles will run every 15 minutes, approximately, from 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 3; Friday, Aug 4; and Saturday, Aug. 5, between the fairgrounds and WE Fest's West Gate.

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Single-day shuttle passes or three-day wristbands can be purchased at the fairgrounds ticket booth — but no overnight parking/camping will be permitted at the fairgrounds, Johnston cautioned. "It's day parking only," she said.

Though the Chamber partners with Anderson Bus Service to provide the shuttles and drivers, the ticket booth and parking management at the fairgrounds are handled by Chamber volunteers, Johnston noted. "We'll have about 25 volunteers at the fairgrounds," she added.

For more information, stop by the fairgrounds ticket booth or call the Chamber office (during regular business hours) at 218-847-9202.

Here's a little look at who's playing when on WE Fest's Main Stage this weekend.

Cowboy Troy is the Main Stage master of ceremonies. There will be additional performances at WE Fest's Barn Stage and Country Club throughout the weekend as well, including DJ B-Rock, John Morgan, Casey Muessigmann, Few Miles South, Ashland Craft, Ben Burgess and Ashley Cooke. Visit wefest.com for more information.

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