SWANZEY, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Country singer-songwriter Whitney Doucet is making her Winkfest debut this weekend at the family-friendly country music festival hosted by WINQ 98.7 FM. The all-day event takes place this Saturday, June 21, from 1 to 6 p.m. at Frogg Brewing Company and will feature Doucet, opening the festival, along with several local and regional acts.

For Doucet, a Fitchburg, MA native, Winkfest is the latest stop on a musical journey that began in her hometown when she was just 14 years old. That year, she won her high school’s talent show singing LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live,” surprising classmates who had no idea she could sing.

Doucet grew up on country music but called it “her own thing,” meaning no one in her family shared the same passion. “Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Shania Twain — those were my idols,” she said. “Their songs told stories I connected with.”

Just a year after her talent show debut, Doucet formed her first band at age 15 and began performing charity concerts at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (Monty Tech) in Fitchburg, raising money to support orphanages in Haiti. Encouraged by her father and mentored by her uncle—a Neil Diamond impersonator—Doucet found her way into several local bands, including one that recruited her after a connection at the Sheraton Hotel in Leominster.

Over the years, she played in four or five different groups before forming her current five-member band. That band, she says, came together partly thanks to a Craigslist ad. “One of my best friends, Randy, answered the ad,” she said. He’s been with me ever since.”

The Whitney Doucet Band has since built a reputation throughout New England, opening for major acts like Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Little River Band, and Kimberly Perry of The Band Perry. The band has also played on side stages for Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, and Dan + Shay, and Doucet herself sang a duet with Keith Urban — a standout moment in her career.

This summer is shaping up to be one of Doucet’s busiest yet. In addition to Winkfest, she’s scheduled to perform at Local CountryFest and open a side stage show for Shania Twain at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion on July 24 — a dream come true for the artist who grew up idolizing Twain.

Doucet’s talents extend beyond live performance. She’s co-written songs that have been featured in hit TV shows like “Ginny & Georgia” (Netflix), “And Just Like That” (HBO), “Love Without Borders” (Bravo), and “Hollywood House Lift” (Freevee). She’s also performed the national anthem at major sporting events for the Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics, and once sang live for a crowd of nearly 100,000 fans at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s NASCAR event, broadcast nationally on ABC.

Doucet’s musical foundation was shaped not only by her love of singing but also by her experience playing violin in a youth orchestra, a skill she still values. She now plays guitar, primarily for songwriting, and says she hopes to incorporate more instrumental performance into future shows.

Despite her impressive resume, Doucet says what drives her is the emotional connection she creates with audiences.

“I’m not a pop dancer,” she said. “Country music is about storytelling. It’s wholesome and family-oriented. That’s where I feel at home.”

Fans can catch Doucet this Saturday at Winkfest, where she’ll be joined by headliner Freddy and the Freeloaders, along with Jeremiah Bones, Josie Sal and The Lake Effect Band; and line dancing with Granite State Stomp. The all-ages, rain-or-shine event includes food, drink, photo ops, and shuttle service from overflow parking at Brown Memorial Field.

Tickets are available online in advance for $10 at SaveLocalDeals.com, or $15 at the door.

For Whitney Doucet’s full summer tour schedule, music videos, and more, visit her on at her website, on YouTube, or follow her on Spotify and Apple Music.