Harmony Arts in tune with audience
Festival manager promises ‘something for everyone’ at family-friendly event
The Harmony Arts Festival launched in 1990. Presented by Odlum Brown Limited, the showcase for music, gastronomy and visual and literary arts was an immediate success. From modest beginnings at a limited number of locations, the event now runs 10 days. The sites encompass John Lawson Park, Millennium Park, The Music Box, the Ferry Building Gallery and more.
The festival draws over 130,000 with its focus on family-friendly fare.
Besides the wide range of activities, there is the added benefit of the setting. Anyone who has taken the time to head over the Lions Gate Bridge for an amble along Ambleside knows that there are few places in the region to compare with the West Vancouver waterfront for views and nearby amenities, ranging from parkside concessions to Glowbal Restaurant Group’s Fish Shack, Cafe El Mercato and the Savary Island Pie Company.
“I couldn’t be more pleased about how much the community, both local and throughout the region, embraces this waterfront summer festival,” says events and festival manager Christie Rosta. “We have something for everyone and we have really made it part of our planning to pull together everyone’s feedback — from participants to visitors — to tweak things for the next year. Our process for next year starts during the festival this year and this has really worked out in growing the event.”
A run through the program for the 2017 Harmony Arts Festival illuminates Rosta’s point. Some nuggets that she mentioned in the interview are covered below:
Hollyburn House Seniors Series (Aug. 6-7, 13, 2-4 p.m. | West Vancouver Community Foundation Stage, John Lawson Park): Given the fact of the aging Canadian population, it seems like a no-brainer to have senior-specific programming at any festival. Rosta agrees: “We’ve had a fabulous sponsor, Hollyburn House, and presented a great program that really brings seniors out and we used to have the late Dal Richards, and this year we have his orchestra. It’s one of my favourite afternoons because people really get up and dance, reminisce and there are a lot of smiling faces.”
All in the family: “From the live music to the kid-specific activities, the food choices and the setting, we have a really fabulous combination of factors at play here, so there is something for everyone,” said Rosta. Simply put, this has meant that the event has been able to grow its brand consistently in the region.
It’s NOT only a West Van thing: According to exit surveys done by the staff, that 130,000-plus attendance figure incorporates a lot of people from throughout the Lower Mainland with people from downtown Vancouver, North Burnaby and White Rock. Perhaps Harmony Arts Festival reminds White Rock residents of their Sea Festival in its organization?
The main attractions? “First pick with almost everyone is our musicians, so we are bringing back a lot of our favourites over the years this time, including Jim Byrnes (Aug. 9, 8:45 p.m. | Millennium Park), the Boom Booms (Aug. 10, 8:45 p.m. | Millennium Park) and Redeye Empire (Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m. | John Lawson Park)," she said. “And one of our most popular tribute bands, Bobby Bruce’s Nearly Neil and the Solitary Band (Aug. 4, 8:45 p.m. | John Lawson Park), opens the festival. People want to come and tap their toes and dance.”
Food, glorious food: There is a heavy focus on delicious dining at the festival. From familiar food trucks to pop-up venues such as the Park Royal Beachside Patio and RE/ MAX Waterfront Lounge and nearby local restaurants, you won’t go hungry. There are also two ticketed food events. The Best of the West evening of paired food and wine dishes coming from 13 different participating outlets is sold out. The Mixology Night on the Pier (Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m. | Ambleside Pier), where you can tour cocktails with a stunning setting, still has tickets ($75 at 1-866514-5050 or selectyourtickets.com).
Art, art and more art: Daily during the festival there is the Fresh St. Market Art Market (Argyle Avenue between 14th and 16th streets). That’s a mouthful to say. It’s also where you’ll find the work of local artisans on sale. In the evenings, from Aug. 8-10, the Fresh St. Market Art Market Daylight & Twilight media installation turns on and you can catch screenings, performances, projections and more. There are also a series of specific exhibitions, including Home, Shelter and Belonging (Aug. 4-13, 11 a.m.9 p.m. | east of Millennium Park), which looks at themes of colonization and immigration in Canada and the impact on both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples.
Cea Sunrise Person (Aug. 8, 4 p.m. | John Lawson Park): Author Person has penned two bestselling memoirs — North of Normal and Nearly Normal — that ring true to so many who have made this coast their home. Moving from a life with extreme back-to-the-land hippies to a career in international modelling at age 13 has given her both wit and wisdom and should make this reading quite a blast.
n This year there is a shuttle service: Want to have an easy go of it and take transit to and from the event? With a free festival shuttle sponsored by Park Royal Shopping Centre running from Canada Place to Park Royal and the Harmony Arts Festival, you can come in on SkyTrain and roll on over the Lions Gate. There are also numerous buses from Vancouver and North Vancouver that take you past the site as well. Visit westvancouver.ca for the Blue Bus schedule.