Cowboy hats and boots are a common sight around Greater Moncton again on Friday.
It’s day two of YQM Country Fest.
City of Dieppe Director of Community Development Denis Leblanc says the area is benefitting economically from the around 20, 000 attending.
“Hotels are full. Restaurants are full for breakfast this morning. So it’s a great, great addition to the city. We had a good attendance last night, and we think it’s going to ramp up over the next couple of days.”
The City of Dieppe completed an economic impact study last year.
“The direct impact not just to the city, but also to the surrounding area was $14 million. That’s money going to our hotels, going to our local businessmen, going to our local restaurants. Hotels are full. Gas stations are being used. So that’s a great benefit economically for our businesses that are operating here in the city of Dieppe,” Leblanc says.
Jason Aldean is just one of many acts taking to the stage on Friday at the MusiquART site. Luke Coombs will be the main attraction on Saturday.
“We try to get as many events as we can, certainly within our resources. It does take the city staff and myself a lot of our time, so we do what we can. Just a week ago, we had an August 15 celebration, Acadian Day, with about 14,000 people on that site, and now YQM Country Fest. Those are the only two events that we have currently on that site. But we’re definitely looking to see if we can add some more,” Leblanc says.
