Reserved seats being offered at Country Thunder Music Festival

Concertgoers hoping to score the best seats for the Country Thunder Music Festival no longer need to wait in the gopher run.

The country music festival, formerly known as the Craven Country Jamboree, is now offering reserved seats.

Festival-goers willing to pay up can skip lines that often start the night before.

The gopher run will still happen and 2,500 wristbands will be handed out, which is 500 less than last year, Kim Blevins, Country Thunder Music Festival’s general manager, said.

“So now we offer options for everyone,” Blevins said.

“We offer standing room for those kids that like to party and dance. We have a reserved seating area for somebody if they want to have that seat for the weekend. We have an upgraded, more of a VIP experience and the platinum experience, and we still have that tradition of the gopher run.”

Those that purchase the $600 platinum experience will have access to a special bar area, private washrooms and different food, Blevins said.

Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Toby Keith and Dallas Smith are just some of the performers scheduled to take to the stage at next year’s festival.

Tickets went on sale at noon on Thursday.

Country Thunder Music Festival will be held in Craven, Sask. from July 13 to 16, 2017.