FernFest Program Guide June 17 & 18, 2016 | Fernwood Square ›› Andrew Kerr
C
elebrating 21 years!! Can you believe it?! While FernFest is getting older, these two days are still all about celebrating the vibrant neighbourhood and people of Fernwood, making time play, and connect with your neighbours. So, mark your calendar, call your firends, and join us for music, games, dancing, suprises, and fun! The festivities commence on Friday as we fire up the grill, open the bar, and kickoff with the first of 17 amazing and diverse musical acts gracing the gazebo Main Stage! Whether you prefer the soulful grooves of Chance Lovett & the Broken Hearted, the boot-stomping swingin’ western rockabilly of Slim Sandy & the Hillbilly Boppers, the tropical vibes of Leisure Club, the explosive rock of Deep Sea Gypsies, or the Balkan dance party that is Bučan Bučan, we’ve got something to wet everyone’s whistle! Try not to over exert yourself on Friday though, as the festivities continue Saturday morning, starting at 9am with a Community Pancake Breakfast hosted by our friends at the Fernwood Inn. Once you’re full and sufficiently caffeinated, make sure to catch the Kidical Mass Bike Parade at 11am. Senior’s Tea follows at 1pm in the Fernwood Community Centre. Making his triumphant return as host-extraordinaire is everyone’s favourite MC from across the pond, Benji Duke! Family-friendly as always, we’ll also have an abundance of attractions at the Field of Dreams and Kidz Zone from 11am-5pm on the Vic High Field. The cardboard castle makes its return, along with face-painting, art, balloon animals, giant games, and many more activities for everyone to enjoy! We'll have free workshops and performances at our Mini Stage. Many local non-profits will be joining us this year on the Field of Dreams with info booths and activities. FernFest’s Artisan Market has moved to the Vic High tennis courts in order to accommodate the ever-growing number of participating artisans and vendors. Open on the Saturday from 10:30am-5pm, it’ll feature upcycled clothing, art, hoops, jewelry, zines, vintage treasures, treats, soap made with beer, pallet art and furniture and so much more!
One new Saturday feature we’re excited to share with you this year is our Beach Chill-out Lounge, featuring pink flamingos, Phillips’ soda samples, astro-turf, and enough kitsch to shake a stick at! We cannot even begin to express our gratitude to everyone who contributes to make this festival an unqualified success year after year. Free as always, FernFest
www.fernwoodnrg.ca/event-directory/fernfest
would not be possible without the generosity of our amazing volunteers, sponsors, silent auction donors, artisans, musicians, local business, and other community partners. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!!! FernFest continues to be inspired by the people and neighbourhood of Fernwood, and we want to share in the celebration with
all of you! Invite your friends, your family, your neighbours, and even that cute-baristaat-the-coffee-shop-you’ve-been-building-up the-courage-to-ask-out-but-haven’t-foundquite-the-right-moment-yet. We can’t wait to dance with you all! Happy FernFest! Check out pages 2 & 3 for the full schedule of activities...
21st Annual FernFest Program Guide
page 1
Time
D
9:00 am 10:30 am
Community Pancake Breakfast
W pr
10:00am & 11:00 am
Bike Decoration Station & Kidical Mass Bike Parade
K de th
10:30 am 5:00 pm
Artisan Market
O H
11:00 am 5:00 pm
Field of Dreams
Fa pr w
Walking Tours of Fernwood
Jo ne w
Time
Performer
5:00 pm
DJ WAXSTATIC
Waxstatic is ecstatic to share an eclectic mix of rare ALL VINYL Afro Groove, Funk, Soul and Caribbean music that’s guaranteed to put you on your good foot.
11:00 am & 1:00 pm
6:00 pm
MASALA WORLD PERCUSSION
Masala is a world drum and percussion band from Victoria whose music is inspired by traditional rhythms of West Africa, Haiti, Cuba, Brazil and the Middle East. Through music, they bring people together in celebration of community and common cultural values.
11:30 am close
BBQ
Fe sm W
6:30 pm
ZOUBI AND THE SEA
Zoubi and the Sea is rapidly evolving into a force to be reckoned with. Growing from their sound rooted in folk music, the tides have turned them into one hell of a soulful rock band, they pair sultry saxophone solos with dynamic instrumentals to accompany Zoubi’s timeless vocals.
Noon 10:00pm
Ice Cold Refreshments
H Ph
1:00 pm 2:30 pm
Seniors’ High Tea
Jo an
Performer
M
12:00 pm
SLIM SANDY & THE HILLBILLY BOPPERS
S sw
1:00 pm
THE HALF MOON SHINE
Th co
2:00 pm
BROTHERS IN FARMS
Th fu
3:00 pm
WISE CHILD
In vo
4:00 pm
THE FERNWOOD COALITION
Th un
5:00 pm
ˇ ˇ BUCAN BUCAN
M tu
6:00 pm
JOHNNY DANGUS
B w a
7:00 pm
BLACKWOOD KINGS
A du
8:00 pm
TIGHT HAIR
A to
9:00 pm
CHANCE LOVETT & THE BROKEN HEARTED
Fi no na
7:30 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
Main Stage - Fernwood Square
Activity
The Choir is a non-auditioned, community choir that sings all-original arrangements of pop, folk and indie music. What started as a small project based out of Larsen Music in early 2013 turned big in no time: 100 great people who love to sing their hearts out!
THE CHOIR
DEEP SEA GYPSIES
Born in a modern era with vintage dreams, the Deep Sea Gypsies offer a sound that is all their own. Playing an original, innovative combination of 60’s psych, blues rock and 70’s southern rock, some might say they have souls much older than their age would suggest. Hailing from Vancouver, BC, and comprised of members from the groups BESTiE and Tough Lovers, Leisure Club is a new home for pop songs focused on groove, catchy guitar melodies, and vocal lines that will stay stuck in your head.
LEISURE CLUB
HUNGRY? Enjoy some tasty delights from our BBQ. We’ll be serving locally-made gluten-free smokies, veggie dogs, kid’s hot dogs & Phillips Sodas. Open from 5 - Late
THIRSTY? Hang out anywhere in Fernwood Square to listen to the music, dance & drink some local Phillips Beer & Merridale Cider. (All ages location, must be 19+ to drink alcohol) Open from 5 - 10pm
Saturday June 18, Mini Stage @ the Vic High Field Time
Workshop
Time
Workshop
11:00 am
Hoop Workshop with Rebecca
1:00 pm
Sportball interactive multi-sport games for kidz
11:30 am
Story Telling with Jennifer Ferris and Lisa Greenly
2:00 pm
Kidz Songs with Ian
12:00 pm
Hoop Workshop with Rebecca
3:00 pm
Kidz Yoga Challenge Course with Rachel from Yoga Den
4:00pm
page 2
21st Annual FernFest Program Guide
Time
Dream Co. Circus School with Lilith and team
@Fernwoodnrg | Fernwood, Victoria BC
Details
We start the day off right with a by-donation pancake breakfast in the Square, generously repared by our friends at The Fernwood Inn.
ids! Get ready to glide through Fernwood’s streets. Meet in the Field of Dreams There will be ecorations and a bike mechanic on-hand to make sure you ride safely and in style. Tour hrough the ‘hood escorted by VicPD and the Angel Choppers Bicycle Club (AC/BC).
ver 40 local vendors will be showcasing their unique items on the tennis courts beside the Vic igh Plaza bringing you handmade clothing, jewelry, hoops, soaps, baked goods and more!
amily and kid’s activities galore & all things fun: giant cardboard castle, community weaving roject, interactive painting mural, over-sized games, face painting, art, info tables and mini-stage with FREE workshops (See schedule on the bottom of page 2).
oin the Victoria Heritage Foundation on a guided tour of the heritage buildings in our eighbourhood at 11:00 am. Also, join Stephanie for a tour of Spring Ridge Commons at 1:00 pm where you will explore the edible and medicinal plants of the site. Meet on the Vic High Field.
ernFest’s BBQ brings you delicious, locally-made eats including island-raised gluten-free mokies by McLennans Butcher and Field Roast veggie dogs from across the Salish Sea. Wash them down with Phillips Sodas available on tap.
ead to the trailer bar located in Fernwood Sq. for a fresh-from-the-tap Blue Buck or Pilsner by hillips Beer or Merridale MerriBerri or House Cider. (All ages location, must be 19+ to drink alcohol)
oin in on some good ol' fashioned fun in the Fernwood Community Centre. Scones, tea nd good conversation. (55+ years please)
Main Stage - Fernwood Square
lim Sandy & the Hillbilly Boppers’ original compositions and classic rockabilly, Western wing, and country blues songs from the 30’s - 50’s are sure to get everyone bopping along.
he Half Moon Shine is a five femme band featuring all original doo-wop, americana, and ountry songs; a perfect pairing to a sunny afternoon!
he Brothers are out to prove that having fun and loving what you do feed the fire that uels their genre-hopping party music; they have what it takes to get you dancing.
ndie-rock band Wise Child play catchy songs led by intriguing guitar riffs paired with rich ocals and lyrics. They will resonate with lovers of Feist, the War on Drugs and Beach House.
he Fernwood Coalition invites participants to sink into the inclusive grooves. Ride their ndulating waves of positivity.
Made up of a very colourful and talented collection of musicians playing trumpets, violins, ubas, accordions, clarinets, flugelhorns, trombones and drums – be sure to get a dance in.
orn in a volcano, Johnny rode a funky wave of lava straight into the vibrant Miami-scene where he got to work on perfecting his craft for lighting up dance floors. This is sure to be dance party you won’t want to miss!
lthough influenced by punk, Blackwood Kings favour the reverb-laden upstrokes of ska and ub, producing a politically and emotionally charged brand of reggae that is uniquely theirs.
bunch of disco-loving misfits that used the power of hovercraft, pogo-stick and Craigslist o form a band that brings the polyester-clad dance party to town!
rst making her stamp on the Victoria music scene fronting 'The Chantrelles', Chance ow resides in Vancouver, where she commands a new and exciting band under her own ame. She’s looking forward for her return to Fernwood!
www.fernwoodnrg.ca/event-directory/fernfest
21st Annual FernFest Program Guide
page 3
Help us weave community at FernFest Community Weaving Project Saturday, June 18 from 11am to 5pm, FernFest Field of Dreams on the Vic High Field
›› Beth Threlfall
F
ernFest is synonymous with community spirit. Everyone’s favourite aspects of the weekend—great music, good vibes, tasty food, family fun— are focused on inclusion and building this amazing community around us. For those of you wanting to create a living metaphor for this phenomenal neighbourhood event, what could be better than a weaving project? After all, weaving community is what Fernwood does best, so I would like to invite you all to come and contribute to an actual community weave! All we need to make this fun, interactive craft happen is something we all have an
page 4
abundance of: t-shirts! Yep, t-shirts are the fabric of choice for this collective, recycled weaving project. We’re asking you to bring your old (but clean) cotton, adult-size t-shirts down to the Fernwood Community Centre before June 15, 2016. Then, during FernFest’s Saturday Field of Dreams, we’ll collectively cut the t-shirts into strips, knot them into large loops, and then stretch those loops over our large, premade weaving frame. Then it’s time to get to weaving! Under, over, under, over, again and again, until we reach the end and have created a large, vibrant, neighbourhood rug: it’s like a community dance, but with fabric! Whether you come for five minutes or stay for an hour, community members of all ages are welcome to help bring this project to life. And what happens with the beautiful finished product? Do we raffle it off? Donate it to a local shelter? Bring your own ideas, join in the fun, and help us weave some community. Much like we have seen with countless community projects before, the possibilities are often endless!
21st Annual FernFest Program Guide
Christmas in July (well, June) Belfry Theatre Saturday, June 18
›› Erin Macklem
T
his past March it dawned on me that I have been working in Fernwood for over ten years! I consider this to be a major milestone, especially in this day and age where job security and attention spans often wane. But why would I leave? I work in the best neighbourhood ever, and I’ve made so many great memories. I remember having never tasted a mulberry until I happened upon them one day in the Spring Ridge Commons Food Garden. My daughter, who goes to the Fernwood Community Daycare, can’t wait for it to be summer so she can stuff her face with them (Yum!). As an added bonus, I have the best job ever! As the Belfry Theatre’s Artistic Associate & Outreach Coordinator some of my exciting duties include new play development, community engagement, working with youth, and organizing auditions - just to name a few. This season, together with composer Brad L’Écuyer, I will have the great pleasure of combining all these aspects of my job, along with my love of writing and the neighbourhood of Fernwood. In December, the Belfry will present the premiere of our family musical - a play that celebrates music, community connection, and light in the darkest days of winter. That being said, I need your help!
This Little Light is a play written especially for this neighbourhood, shining a light on some of the wonderful quirks and qualities of Fernwood. It will feature a cast of senior students from the Canadian College of the Performing Arts, choirs of students from our neighbourhood schools, and YOU! Yes, you.
During FernFest we will be holding auditions for the role of Very Special Guest Stars... chances are if you audition, you’ll land the part! During FernFest we will be holding auditions for the role of Very Special Guest Stars. These roles will be played by someone different each night, so chances are if you audition, you’ll land the part! These guest stars are not required to sing or memorize lines, all you need to do is be willing to come and play. It is called a “play” after all! So bring your friends and family to the Belfry during FernFest to audition for your fifteen minutes of fame, engage in some family fun such as mask making, and take a backstage tour if you’d like a peak behind the scenes. I’m grateful to be your neighbour and look forward to meeting you!
@Fernwoodnrg | Fernwood, Victoria BC