Five things you need to know before you go to the House of Paint Festival of Arts and Culture

1 Sami Elkout is responsible for co-ordinating the festival’s dance programming, but the festival isn’t just about street dance. It revolves around four pillars of hip hop culture: DJing, MCing, graffiti art and urban dance. Expect a big, old-school block party with events ranging from competitions to live concerts to mural painting, featuring Canadian and international artists.

2 There are different ways to show your appreciation for an artist depending on what you’re viewing. Feel free to make some noise at a b-boy battle, but snapping your fingers is a better way to show some love at a slam poetry show.

3 You may have heard the words “breakdancing” or “breakdancer” on TV, but you won’t hear them at the Festival of Arts and Culture. Elkout says the original terms are “breaking” and “breaker.” “B-boy” and “b-girl” are also widely used. “A b-boy or b-girl is somebody that dances for the exploration of movement and really appreciates the cultural context behind the dance, whereas breakdancing tends to be viewed as just tricks and moves,” Elkout says. “It’s like the difference between the artist and the athlete.”

4 The wall underneath Dunbar Bridge — where the festival is located — is the national capital’s first legal graffiti wall. In the early 2000s, Ottawa-Gatineau-based urban artists lobbied the city for a graffiti wall and the Festival of Arts and Culture started in 2003 as a celebration of that victory.

5 The festival has events for all ages — especially on Saturday, when there will also be kids’ activities and an arts market. Saturday is free by donation, but some events have admission ranging from $5 to $25 so double-check the website before you head out the door! (There are also festival and VIP passes on sale on Eventbrite.)