Loads of free and easy summer fun await
This time of year in the Lower Mainland is a multicultural mix of sights and sounds
Festival season is upon us and there are enough events planned across Metro Vancouver to fill your weekends twice over from now until September.
Here’s a sample of the region’s notable free fests and tips on how to hit them right.
MAKE MUSIC
VANCOUVER
Still thinking about getting the band back together? This oneday music fest is all the inspiration you need to get it done. The festival is played by bands and musical artists of all styles and all calibres, hosted by Vancouver-area volunteers, and part of a global celebration inspired by la Fete de la Musique in France. The only unfortunate news is performers are already recruited so it’s too late to sign up. But go check out the acts who will be playing on sidewalk stages and dance floors scattered throughout one of Vancouver’s coolest districts.
June 24, 5-10 p.m. | Gastown Info: MakeMusicVancouver.ca
BUSKERFEST
The best way to have a good time at Buskerfest is to follow the wisdom of your high school chemistry teacher — apply yourself. Crowds are part of the show, so shout out when prompted and ooh, ah, cheer and laugh hard to help pump up the performers and your neighbours.
June 26-28, noon to 9 p.m. | Granville Street between Dunsmuir and Nelson Info: vancouverbuskerfest.com
JULY
KHATSAHLANO STREET PARTY
If you haven’t kept pace with Vancouver’s music scene you may not know many of the bands lined up to play the city’s buzziest free music and arts fest. That’s a good thing. It means you have more than 50 new favourites waiting to be discovered on eight stages.
Pro tip: The crowd is going to be heavy, so don’t try to take too much on. Hang out at a couple of stages and bring some pocket change for the festival’s freshly
licensed outdoor beer gardens.
July 11, 11 a.m. — 9 p.m. | West 4th Avenue between Burrard and MacDonald Info: khatsahlano.com
SURREY FUSION
FESTIVAL
B.C.’s fastest growing city is packed with people from around the globe, and so is this festival. More than 40 different cultures staged pavilions last year and organizers say there will be even more in 2015. Food is a big part of the festival, at the pavilions and on a cooking stage where seasoned chefs demo their dishes.
Don’t forget to check out: The Pow Wow. It’s a rare day that a Pow Wow rolls into Greater Vancouver, but Fusion has pretty much everything you can think of. There are events through the day at the Pow Wow stage, including Git Hayetsk, hoop and jingle dancers. July 18-19, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Holland Park Info: surrey.ca/fusionfestival
AUGUST
HARMONY ARTS FESTIVAL
For 10 days in midsummer, crowds pack waterfront parks in Ambleside on the North Shore. The Harmony Arts Festival turns 25 this year, making an already popular celebration even bigger. Coax out your inner Degas at the artist demonstrations in the ArtSpeaks tent, or take in an outdoor movie at the waterfront Cinema in the Park. How to hit it right: Get there early and snag a good seat at the Waterfront Lounge, just steps from the Garden Stage. Or head over to the festival’s new Beachside Patio, with food offered by The Dirty Apron Cooking School.
July 31 — August 9 | North Shore
Info: harmonyarts.ca
LATIN SUMMER FEST
This may be the smallest fest on the list, but that’s only one of the reasons to check it out. Great food and uptempo music. That’s what this one is all about.
Beat the heat: Lounge in the shade of a willow tree or take a dip in the lake to cool off from the dance floor.
August 16 | Trout Lake Park Info: latinsummerfest.com