Over 50 musical performances, waterfront galleries, and open-air tents featuring multimedia works have promised to share the very best that West Vancouver has to offer. – North Shore News
10
150,000 60+
140+
1200+
1.5M+ attendees live music performances days art market vendors food vendors volunteer hours contributed marketing campaign impressions
15+
• 800-seat licensed beachside lounge
• Two dining areas
• 15+ food vendors
• “Best of the West” food and wine pairing ticketed event at the Ambleside pier
• Featured artist Himikalas Pamela Baker with fashion show and exhibition
• Mid-week and weekend art markets
• Indigenous carving and art space
• Group art exhibition
• Kids’ art exhibition
• Drop in kids’ arts & crafts activities
• A series of artist talks, art demonstrations, and workshops
• West Vancouver Art Museum exhibition
• 60+ musical performances
• Two beachside music stages
The Harmony Arts Festival has established itself as a beloved tradition in West Vancouver and attracts a diverse audience. Here’s a demographic profile of the festival’s attendees:
average household income
$127,000
47 average age
3 group size
14–24 | 16%
Marketing strategies and youth targeted programming are attracting a younger demographic to the festival.
25–44 | 23%
Families and young professionals are drawn to live music, licensed lounges, family-oriented programming such as Artsy Kids Outdoor Studio and youth exhibitions.
45–64 | 40%
Educated homeowners that have above average disposable incomes are drawn to food and wine events, art sales, musical offerings, and the high-quality art market.
65+ | 21%
Longtime locals attend and volunteer with enthusiasm. Many take in our concert series and art exhibitions.
We acknowledge that the Harmony Arts Festival takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Squamish Nation, Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and Musqueam Nation.
We recognize and respect them as nations in this territory, as well as their historic connection to the lands and waters around us since time immemorial.
Our festival has a proud history of amplifying Indigenous partnerships, and the 2024 program once again included a diverse selection of artists.
We recognize our responsibility to seek out and cultivate authentic relationships with Indigenous artists, honouring their knowledge and wisdom to enrich our practice. We are dedicated to engaging with, welcoming, and supporting Indigenous artists and audiences.
The Harmony Arts Festival proudly hosted Himikalas Pamela Baker, an esteemed Indigenous fashion designer of Squamish, Kwakiutl, Tlingit, and Haida ancestry. Himikalas showcased her latest fashion collection along the pier, transforming into a breathtaking runway.
With the serene waters of the Burrard Inlet as the backdrop, the event highlighted Himikalas’ extraordinary collection, which honours her ancestors while showcasing the beauty of West Coast Indigenous design.
Partnership with the Ferry Building Gallery
The Ferry Building Gallery was thrilled to present Touch of Culture: Spirit of the West Coast , an exhibition that featured the fashion of artist and designer Himikalas Pamela Baker. The exhibit highlighted her dresses and evening wear, showcasing one-of-a-kind pieces that narrated the historical journey of Himikalas as a fashion designer. Her innovative techniques, such as laser cutting and sublimation, were used to create distinctive and captivating textile designs.
Visitors also had the opportunity to explore a shop area featuring Himikalas’ porcelain jewellery, leather earrings and bracelets, as well as ready-to-wear items like scarves, ponchos, kimonos, and leather vessels.
Sponsored by:
S ḵ w x̱ wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) artist Xwalacktun and other talented carvers demonstrated the techniques of carving masks and other pieces at the Carvers Studio on Argyle Avenue.
Presented by:
Presented by British Pacific Properties and the Ferry Building Gallery, artists must compose, paint, and frame (or finish) a piece of art in less than four hours, using the outdoors, or “en plein air” as inspiration. This year’s theme was Views of Ambleside.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by British Pacific Properties and presented by the Ferry Building Gallery, the ArtSpeaks tent hosted a variety of unique artist talks, demonstrations, workshops, and hands-on classes.
This year marked the 30th anniversary of the West Vancouver Art Museum, revisiting past exhibitions that highlighted its legacy as a hub for the arts in West Vancouver. The history of the organization, along with its art, architecture, and design-based mission, was explored, focusing on the goal of carrying an appreciation of the arts into the future. The museum’s support for the arts and local artists in the community over the past three decades was also showcased.
A juried group exhibition of 77 mixed-media works, was displayed in an open air tent at John Lawson Park. Artists submitted pieces that explored a variety of topics. Displayed art also available for purchase and 14 pieces were sold during the festival.
Sponsored by:
For the Love the Art showcased a selection of artwork created by local artists, aged 5–19 years old. Participants had their art displayed in the outdoor gallery, and could choose to have their art available for sale.
The Art Market kept Argyle Avenue vibrant and bustling during the festival. The selection celebrated artisan culture, while building a community for local artists.
• locally designed clothing
• jewellery
• ceramics
• art
• vintage goods
• artisan food
• skincare products
• homewares
Artists are selected through a vigorous juried process and we look forward to welcoming back returning artisans, while also introducing new artists for 2025.
The Bespoke Mid-week Art Market showcased unique handmade goods and traditional items such as ceramics, clothing, jewellery, paper products, and artisan food and beverages. It was the perfect mid-week destination for mindful shoppers who share a commitment to consume locally, and celebrate the arts at the festival.
Concerts are an important part of the Harmony Arts Festival, drawing music lovers to the festival for 10 days of free live music. Concerts alternated between the two stages in Millennium Park.
With a stunning backdrop of Stanley Park and the Lions Gate Bridge, the RE/MAX East Stage at Millennium Park was an ideal place to enjoy live music. Concerts featured music of all genres, and entertained music lovers of all ages.
The Beedie West Stage at Millennium Park provided live music each day and night of the festival at this beach-side stage with views of English Bay. Music included pop, folk, jazz, R&B, and blues.
The Locarno concert was made possible because of the support from Kay Meek Arts Centre.
American Rock Legends with Ultimate Tributes to John Fogerty, CCR & Bob Seger concert was made possible through the support from ADBIA.
The Beachside Patio at Millennium Park was one of the most scenic dining spots in West Vancouver. With a stunning view, food and drink lovers could take in the festival while enjoying a meal from one of our food vendors and enjoy a cold beverage from our festival bar.
• Aperitivo Truck
• Baba’s House
• Boteco Brasil
• Chou Chou Crepes
• Dolce Amore
• Dos Amigos Tex-Mex
• Lee’s Donuts
• Mahshiko
• Patisserie Le Pont
• Rico ‘n Lalo Paletas
• Taco Nori
• The Dragon Bowl
• The Modern Pantry
• Thierry Chocolates
Sponsored by:
Best of the West was a ticketed event, featuring food from 15 of the North Shore’s best restaurants, paired with wine from 15 top wineries. This culinary competition asked attendees to taste all of the pairings and then vote for their favourite. The winner was crowned Best of the West.
In 2024, Best of the West returned to the Ambleside Pier, with plans to retain this stunning backdrop for the 2025 event.
Sustainable practices and being conscious of our environmental footprint is a central focus of the Harmony Arts Festival. As we work towards minimizing waste, we worked with vendors, sponsors and artists to provide guidelines for ways that everyone could contribute. By partnering with Green Chair Recycling we aim to divert waste from the landfill and encourage attendees to recycle and compost where possible.
Supported by:
The Harmony Arts Festival’s bike valet successfully promoted sustainable transportation options. By offering a safe, donation-based service during key festival hours, the valet encouraged attendees to leave their cars at home and cycle via the Spirit Trail. This initiative supported the festival’s commitment to environmental responsibility and provided a secure space for cyclists to store their bikes while enjoying the festival.
Thanks to our volunteers’ and supporters’ passion for the Harmony Arts Festival, we once again executed a successful and free festival for all!
118 volunteers, ages ranging from 14 to 93, primarily North Shore residents
15 food vendors, 12 bartenders, 18 wineries + breweries + spirits
West Vancouver Foundation
Government of British Columbia
WV Community Arts Council
The Audain Foundation
Kay Meek Arts Centre
ADBIA
The BC Cycling Coalition
Odlum Brown Limited
British Pacific Properties
Park Royal
RE/MAX
Beedie Living
Fresh St. Market
IRIS
Onni Group
North Shore News
102.7 The Peak
WAVE 98.3
Westvancouver.com
Global BC
Howe Sound Brewing
Opus Art Supplies
Mills
Haywire
Bespoke Market
La Cerveceria Astilleros
Parc Retirement Living
Leaf Filter
Recycle BC
BA Blacktop
CüR Laser and Skin
URP
Pedalheads
Louis Gervais Fine Foods
The 2024 Harmony Arts Festival campaign ran over nine months, starting in December 2023. It was divided into three phases: Pre-Event, During-Event, and Post-Event, each playing a key role in creating a memorable experience. Before the festival, the focus was on spreading the word about the exciting lineup featuring visual, culinary, and performing arts.
• newspaper ads
• bus shelter ads
• postcards
• posters
• table-toppers
• on-site and street signage
• press releases
• event listings
• news articles
• hourly announcements during the festival
• featured artist
• social media
• digital articles
• harmony youtube videos
• newsletters
• harmonyarts.ca
• westvancouver.ca
• digital display ads
1.5+ MILLION
Newspaper ad and editorial reach
57,000+
Postcards delivered to local community
10,000+
Event listing total visits/month
305,000+
Engagement read rate for news articles
91.35%
During the event, activities like live performances, and art displays were highlighted to keep the community engaged. After the festival, event highlights were shared to maintain the buzz and connections with attendees, artists, and sponsors.
page views at harmonyarts.ca
383,000+
August 2023 to August 2024
62K account reach Instagram
140,000+ digital impressions Instagram
120,000+ Facebook page reach
135,000+ Facebook digital impressions
2,400+ e-newsletter recipients Harmony Arts Newsletter
243,000+ impressions for digital display ads
A cornerstone of the annual festival is the Best of the West dining event. This year’s event was spectacular and seems to get a bit better every year.
–festival attendee
As the featured artist, Himikalas Pamela Baker’s Indigenous Fashion Show was better than anything in Paris, London, or New York. The setting paled in comparison to Ms. Baker’s fusion of art, fashion, and culture. The whole show brought tears to my eyes.
– festival attendee
Since 1990 Harmony Arts Festival has been a summer highlight in West Vancouver. This year was no different, and we couldn’t have done it without your support.
West Vancouver’s waterfront was the place to be for 10 days as we celebrated the arts, including live music, art exhibits, art vendors, crafts for kids, and al fresco culinary experiences.
Thank you for investing in the arts in West Vancouver. We look forward to seeing you again in 2025!
MAJOR SPONSORS:
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
PROGRAM AND VENUE SPONSORS:
MEDIA SPONSORS:
OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS:
ACTIVATION SPONSORS:
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO:
