BC Culture Days, a provincial arts and culture celebration, will begin tomorrow (Saturday) in Quesnel.
Cathy Heinzelman, the President of the Quesnel and District Community Arts Council, says it’s quite an honour.
“I think it’s the first time that it’s been in the northern part of the province. I think one of the cities in the Okanagan before that, it’s always been one of the Lower Mainland communities, so we’re really honoured. We have a full day of activities and food and music and a big outdoor launch at Spirit Square. One of the exciting things was that there was a provincial proclamation and we’re going to be reading that out and sharing it at our event on Saturday. We have this lovely document that was sent to us that we’re going to frame and have up in our office at the Arts and Rec Centre.”
Heinzelman says the opening ceremony will be at 11 and that will be followed by a day of entertainment on the outdoor stage.
“The Correlieu Jazz Band is kicking off at 12-30. We have Kordaroy and the Eldzi singers from Nazko, it wraps up with the Aka Bella community group singers at 5-30.”
Heinzelman says the Lyla Hanson and Van Moore duo will also be on the stage as well as the Kwatna Mountain drum group.
At 3 o’clock, she says there will be a short presentation with some of the performers from a musical theatre event on Sunday called Bear Grease.
“That’s on Sunday, September 24th. There are two shows, a matinee at 2 o’clock and an evening show at 7 o’clock. It is a part of our children and families’ concert series, so it’s family entertainment and it’s a hilarious indigenous take on the musical Bear Grease, so lots of puns and I think it’s just going to be fantastic music and lots of exciting energy there.”
That will be at the Chuck Mobley Theatre at Correlieu Secondary School.
Getting back to Saturday, Heinzelman says there will also be the official opening of the art trail.
“People can look on-line as well as collect an in-hand brochure and work their way through. Over a hundred artists are being presented at 50 different businesses and places around town. This is our 4th year with the art trail, we grew into a trail from an art walk that we started during the pandemic. It’s very exciting for our local artists and they are available to the public for a full three weeks until October the 15th.”
Heinzelman says people can go around and collect clues.
“There is a little word search to fill out and then they can enter to win baskets that have been donated, and they’re available to be seen at the Arts and Rec Centre up there by the Art Gallery. It will be drawn on the 18th.”
She says a number of other events are planned over the next few weeks.
“On October 1st we have a Culture Days Ambassador from Quesnel named Natasha Lepine, and she’s going to be conducting a nature walk out at the trails beside the Airport. We also have our Farmers Markets that will take place on the Saturdays, they are also part of Culture Days. We have Truth and Reconciliation Day activities on September 30th as well. There’s going to be presentations at the Lhtako Dene Park and the Friendship Centre”
Heinzelman says the 7th annual Bouchie Lake Harvest Festival is taking place on October 1st.
There is also an event at the Quesnel Library on October 7th.
“A group has got together to present a local authors day. From 10 until 4 authors will be having their books available, and there will be short presentations by authors on various topics.”
Heinzelman says the BC Culture Days website will have a full list of events under Quesnel activities, and she says they can also be found on the Quesnel and District Community Arts Council’s website or Facebook page.
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