JuLY Cranbrook & Kimberley
Powell River
Kimberley International Old Time Accordion Championships
Sandcastle Weekend on Texada Island
www.kiotac.ca
www.texada.org/sandcastle.html
July 4-9
July 16-17
A week long celebration of, and competition between some of the best accordion players and bands with dances and concerts every night.
This weekend event features races, games, a lip synching contest, a parade and some sand sculpting. It all finishes up with a great big yummy pig roast.
JulyFest
48th Annual Sea Fair Festival
www.kimberleyjulyfest.com
www.seafair-powell-river.com
July 15-17
A celebration of sporting events of all kinds (The Canadian Bocce Championship, volleyball, skateboard racing, soccer), there is enough shopping, food, booths and displays to make it appealing to families and people of all ages, even the non-competitors.
Masset, Haida Gwai 2011 Totem to Totem Marathon
July 16
www.totemtototem.com Run your heart out in a race now certified as a Boston Marathon qualifier. What this run offers that Boston (and pretty much any other) marathon doesn’t are eagles overhead and stately totem poles as route markers and goals. If you’re a runner, but not quite up to marathon status there is a half marathon and a 10 km course. If you’re not a runner at all, you can take in the “Marafun” Walk to Breakfast. Registration: $100 to $130 for the marathon depending on how soon you sign up, $75 to $90 for the half marathon, $25 or $30 for the 10k run and $10 for the Marafun Walk.
Bella Coola Bella Coola Rodeo
July 2-3
July 22
Powell River’s Sea Fair includes a midway, nonstop entertainment, fireworks and a parade that stretches for two kilometers. Sponsored, in part, by Pacific Coastal Airlines.
Port Hardy Filomi Days
22
JUNE / JULY 2011
www.bcbikerace.com
Theatre Under the Stars
Vancouver Island Music Festival
July 7-10
www.islandmusicfest.com See article this issue for more details.
Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival All things literary get the spotlight here, with readings from well known B.C. authors, moderated by author and CBC radio personality Bill Richardson and a chance for writers to have their fiction manuscripts assessed by a published author. Prices range from $5 to attend a single session to $80 for a pass plus $60 for entrance to all workshops.
Lavished with stunningly beautiful landscapes Bella Coola compliments the scenery with an intimate and fun music festival every year at the height of summer. This year nine performers will offer up folk, rock, blues, roots and world music to lucky listeners. Admission price is the best for any music festival anywhere – only $20 until July 16 or $25 thereafter and at the gate.
July 2-9
comox area
Bella Coola’s annual roundup of bronco riding, bull riding and the less well known cow patty bingo. Every evening finishes off with dancing, western style.
www.bellacoolamusic.org
BC Bike Race
Once a year, a hard working town celebrates the three resource industries that underpin the region’s economy. Filomi comes from the first two letters in fishing, logging and mining. Once there expect the usual suspects like a beer garden or two, crafts, a dunk-tank, music and fireworks.
www.filomi.com
July 14-17
July 23-24
Vancouver
This week long race starts in North Vancouver, jumps across Georgia Straight to Nanaimo and then pushes up the coast of Vancouver Island as far as Campbell River before heading back to Comox. Back to the mainland, landing at Powell River, riders push onward to Earls Cove, Sechelt, Langdale, then on to Squamish and finish up in Whistler. Every year 500 mountain bikers get to be challenged by one of the most interesting courses anywhere. The price to race is $2,099 per person, watching is free.
July 17-19
www.bellacoola.ca/valley/ festivals.php
Discovery Coast Music Festival
line up is coming from the U.K., New Zealand, Sweden, Australia, the United States and from right across Canada. Performers will do everything you can think of from juggling, playing music and cracking jokes to impossible contortions at Victoria’s Inner Harbour, Centennial Square and Bastion Square.
www.denmanislandwritersfestival.com
Victoria Victoria International Buskers Festival
July 15-24
http:// victoriabuskers. com You see them anywhere that crowds gather, but every year Victoria invites them to form their own crowd at the Buskers Festival. This year’s
July 8 - August 20 www.tuts.ca
Theatre Under the Stars is entering its 65th season and is offering two family musicals at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. This year you can take in Bye Bye Birdie or Anything Goes.
Celebration of Light
July 30, August 3 & 6 www.vancouverfireworks.ca
Every year three countries square off and throw their best pyrotechnics way, way up into the air to explode. Happily the fireworks make an amazing display of light set to music and this year China, Spain and Canada will be up. (See article elsewhere in this issue.)
Everywhere July 1
It’s Canada Day and every city, village and town will be celebrating the birthday of this great country and all of us who live in it. Make sure you take the time to go and enjoy some cake, fireworks and all the rest of the party!
To submit an event for the SOAR Datebook, send an e-mail to editor@soarinflight.com or send a fax to the attention of “Editor–SOAR Magazine” at 1-250-480-3233.
SOAR