The summer heat has finally arrived in Sea to Sky country, bringing blue skies, blossoming wildflowers and the promise of several months of fun under the sun. Despite the demise of the Squamish Valley Music Festival this year, the summer will still bring veritable buffet of varied events and family excitement. From yoga in the sun to beer sampling and live music to loggers sports, summer in Squamish is jam-packed with festivals of all kinds. Here are just some of the highlights of Squamish鈥檚 summer festival season.聽
Much more is also scheduled, including a Sikh festival in June, a children鈥檚 fest, many sporting events and races, and an art crawl event to close out the final days of summer in September.
YogaFest: June 19
A one-day, outdoor event hosted by the West Coast Yoga Foundation, the West Coast Yoga Festival features seven of the best yoga professionals in the Sea to Sky Corridor, plus vegan food, a marketplace, live music and First Nation celebrations throughout the day.
鈥淚 am excited to see the community coming together in celebration,鈥� said Elizabeth Nerland, who is organizing the event. 鈥淭he line-up is truly incredible, and I am excited to share these teachers with all who are open to receive their offerings. Yoga has been profoundly transformative in my life, and I am eager to share the teachings far and wide, enabling all people access to the best teachers.鈥�
For more info on the event, go to www.westcoastyogafoundation.org.
Canada Day: july 1聽
Hosted by the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association (DSBIA) and Squamish Lions Club, the Canada Day celebrations are one of the most popular and packed annual events in the community. Pretty much the whole town comes out to line Cleveland Avenue to experience the colourful and entertaining parade floats, followed by an opening ceremony and cake-cutting at O鈥橲iyam Park. For the rest of the day, partiers can enjoy live music courtesy of Cam Salay and Friends, the Highline and Blueberry Jam. The day also features family activities including the Crafty Creator Room and Paint Me, Play Me in the Squamish Arts Council building. And of course, there is also the ever-popular beer garden. For a full schedule of Canada Day events, go to www.squamishcanadaday.com.
Motorcycle Fest: July 2-3
If you鈥檙e a fan of motorized, two-wheel action, then the Squamish Motorcycle Festival will certainly get your engine running hot. The family festival for all ages is in its third year and features activities, food, motorcycle vendors, a show and shine, adventure riding clinics, demos, an after-party and more.聽
鈥淭he Squamish Motorcycle Festival promotes the joy of riding on dirt, trails, street and road and everything in between, while also promoting local businesses and charitable causes,鈥� said event organizer Suzanne Jolly. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a festival for all ages, and non-riders are always welcome.鈥�
This year, the event will be held at Howe Sound Secondary School. For more information and a full schedule of events, go to squamishmotorcyclefestival.com.
Squamish BeerFest: July 9
The second annual Squamish Beer Festival is billed as 鈥渁n outdoor celebration of craft beer culture in the heart of downtown Squamish.鈥� That鈥檚 a fairly accurate description of the event, which features more than 150 craft brews from 50 different breweries to sample.
鈥淭he festival聽 features some of the best brews from 小蓝视频, North America and abroad,鈥� said event manager Kelly Farrell. 鈥淪ome 50 craft breweries and pubs will join us to showcase their latest beer and cider releases, alongside music and local food trucks.鈥澛�
For more information or to buy tickets for the popular event, go to squamishbeerfestival.com.
Wind Festival: July 21-24
Squamish may be known as a biking, hiking and climbing mecca, however, sailors, kiteboarders and other ocean-goers know Squamish is also famous for its wind and water activities. And for four days in July, the Squamish community comes together to celebrate its connection to not only the ocean, but also local art, music and talent. The Wind Fest features food vendors, a beer garden, art installations, watersport demos, canoe rides and live music, plus the Squamish Yacht Club鈥檚 annual regatta, SOAR.聽
鈥淲e think of it as a giant community open house,鈥� said festival director David Thomson. 鈥淐elebrating everything that makes our town special, the Squamish Wind Festival immerses participants in art, music, water and wind. In a year when the Squamish Valley Music Festival was unexpectedly shuttered, we have put an extra emphasis on the 鈥榤usic鈥� component, featuring 12 acts over two days.鈥�
For more on the Squamish Wind Festival, go to www.squamishwindfestival.com.
Blessed Coast: July 22-24
Now in its second year, Blessed Coast is a three-day festival featuring camping at Riverside Camping and plenty of live music, inspirational workshops, yoga, artisans and vendors, plus First Nation ceremonies and connections. The theme for this year鈥檚 incarnation of the event is 鈥淟ove for the Earth,鈥� focussing on the ideas of sustainability and stewardship. For a full schedule of artists and to buy tickets or reserve for camping, go to www.blessedcoast.ca.
Squamish Days: July 29-31
The granddaddy of Squamish festivals, Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival is celebrating its 59th anniversary this year. The event celebrates Squamish鈥檚 storied logging history with a bursting-at-the-seams long weekend of activities, including live music and art, kids鈥� activities, a parade, wacky bed races, an eight-kilometre run, plus two world-class loggers sports shows with competitors from around the world. Watch these titans of the timber throw axes, climb sky-high poles, chop, carve and run on logs, or chew through trees with chainsaws; it is unlike anything you鈥檒l see anywhere else.
鈥淚 think people enjoy the spectacle of the loggers sports competitions. It鈥檚 a different type of sporting event then you typically see, and there are only so many places you can go to see them,鈥� said organizer Amy Fast. To find out how to see it yourself, go to squamishdays.ca.
Brackendale Fair: Sept. 10
A true old-time country fair, the Brackendale Fall Fair doesn鈥檛 have rides like bumper cars or a Ferris wheel; however, it does feature family-friendly fun such as hay rides, zucchini races, a petting zoo with farm animals, live music all day long and a huge vendor area with local artisans and artists selling and showing off homemade and handcrafted items, artworks and food.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a great day to reconnect with family, friends and neighbours to celebrate summer鈥檚 long bounty of produce, plus arts and crafts, and entertainment,鈥� said Glenne Campbell, vice-president of the Brackendale Farmers鈥� Institute, the group that organizes the event every year. 鈥淧articipants can enter their best fruits, vegetables, flowers, baking, preserves, collections, arts and crafts for prize awards of coveted Brackendale Fall Fair ribbons and cash awards.鈥澛�
For more on the fall fair, which is held at the Brackendale Farmers鈥� Institute Park, go to brackendalefallfair.ca.
