Harrison Festival Society is keeping the arts coming this summer, and the community has clearly been thirsty for it.
Though the traditional Festival of the Arts is canceled for this year, the Festival Society has planned a number of cultural events for the near future, beginning with Will’s Jams in honour of the Festival Society’s annual Children’s Day.
There will be three shows on July 15 on Maple Street in Harrison Hot Springs at 11 a.m. , 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Only 50 people will be allowed at any given gathering, which also accounts for the band, crew and volunteers, so space is limited to an audience of 35. Tickets are $6.
RELATED: Harrison Festival Society announces intimate concert series with July 11 show
On Saturday, July 18, learn the secrets of traditional drum making from Darren Charlie of the Sts’ailes First Nation. The class takes place outside Memorial Hall in Harrison Hot Springs.
Charlie’s class will allow participants to create their own drum; the cost of admission depends on the size of drum you wish to make. Prices range from $37 to $182 for drums anywhere from seven inches to 20 inches.
This event will be physically distanced per provincial health guidelines related to COVID-19 and pre-registration is required.
As far as either event is concerned, anyone feeling sick or experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including coughing, sore throat, fever and shortness of breath, is asked to stay home.
The Harrison Festival Society has had a successful summer so far, given the extreme circumstances brought on by the pandemic. The July 11 concert featuring Bentall Taylor Ulrich – the first of the summer – sold out within 14 hours of announcement.
READ ALSO: Harrison Festival to open with film night for the first time
“We then started to take down names for a wait list,” the most recent statement from the Festival Society reads. “When that list got as big as a full show, we added a third show and most of the tickets went to the people on the wait list. So with only one email and one Facebook post, we have three sold-out shows within just a few days.”
The BTU concert was professionally filmed and will be available soon through the Festival Society’s website.
Will Stroet of Will’s Jams performs interactive rock and pop songs with plenty of kid-friendly wordplay and catchy choruses. His work is famous CBC Kids, Universal Kids TV and children’s music as a whole, spreading positive messages like loving bike riding, cheering for libraries and making a strong case for vegetables.
Stoet is a JUNO nominee and recently released his 10th album, Rocks and Roots, which is nominated for a 2020 CFMA and WCMA. Rocks and Roots celebrates the natural world, outdoor activities and trying new things, hailed as “a masterpiece of creativity and fun, further cementing Will as the ultimate star of children’s rock ‘n’ roll.”
Will’s Jams is found online at www.willsjams.com.
Purchase tickets for both events online at harrisonfestival.com.
The Harrison Festival Society is a consortium of local music and art lovers dedicated to the landmark Festival of The Arts, which was shelved this year due to the pandemic, as well as other events revolving around art, music, performing arts and Harrison Hot Springs. Learn more about them and how you can help at harrisonfestival.com.
Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:
news@ahobserver.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
Want to support local journalism during the pandemic? Make a donation here.
