The annual Roberts Creek Daze community celebration occurs this Sunday, Aug. 14. It’s the 44th anniversary of the euphoric commemoration of Creek life that begins with the aptly-named Higgledy Piggledy Parade.
The parade starts at 11:11 a.m., followed by customary Slow Sundays musical performances at the library square and a lineup of artists at the waterfront mandala.
Onstage at the mandala will be Monty Montego and the Rocksteady Crew, the Jeevious Family Band, and Astral Motion — all guided by Master of Ceremonies Scott Collison.
Slow Sundays performers will include a ukulele singalong with Loose Endings, Kaleigh Jenkins singing a selection of songs, the Mark Gubrud folk trio, vintage blues and jazz duo David Morgan and Richard Price, and the dance-along trio Martini Madness.
The event will also feature a book sale and food vendors.
Jan Brinton, a Roberts Creek resident who has been photographing Creek Daze for 40 years, has compiled an online collection of images spanning the event’s history. “It’s a time for kids and families,” she said. “The higgledy piggledy component of it comes from those early days when nobody wanted to be ‘middle of the road.’ You could just show up and be — well, now they’re calling it ‘weird.’ There’s always a new wave of spirited people who come along and make it special.”
The online photo galleries can be browsed via the address tinyurl.com/creekdaze.
Have your pick of Gibsons fare
The summer music series at Winegarden Park in Gibsons continues this weekend with a strong selection of local artists.
At the Gazebo on Aug. 12 at 7 p.m., John Lepore and Teryl Mullock (late of The Billy Hillpicker Band) will perform classic bluegrass numbers with deep acoustic roots. Lepore and Mullock are filling in for the originally-scheduled minstrel Clay Hepburn, who was unable to appear.
On Aug. 13 at 3:30 p.m., 17-year-old singer and guitarist Kaishan will take the stage. Three hours later, Maritini Madness will perform their trademark mix of bossa nova, samba and original music as rendered by Kevin Crofton on guitar and vocals, Andy Amanovich on bass and Graham Walker on drums and percussion.
Music and more in Sechelt
As part of the Sechelt Summer Music Series, the new Hackett Park stage will feature a two-day Artisan Fair concert on Saturday, Aug. 13 and Sunday, Aug. 14. The musical performances complement vendor demonstrations that take place on Sunday and more than 60 artisans exhibiting unique arts and crafts all weekend.
On Saturday from 11 a.m., musical performances will include Jennifer Mauel, Pa Rainey, Joe Stanton, Whirlwind Woodwind, and Beachcombers Ukulele. On Sunday from 11 a.m. onward, featured artists include Kayla and Cassidy, Lowry Olafson, Geraldine Barringer, Bonar Harris, and the Sunshine Brass.
Organized by the Sunshine Coast Arts Council, the Hackett Park Artisan Fair has been an annual tradition on the Coast for 34 years. It attracts close to 5,000 visitors who browse and buy creations of artisans who are jury-selected based on talent, originality, and the uniqueness of their wares.
More information (including a highly-recommended vendor map) is available online at sunshinecoastartscouncil.com.
Setting the record... straight up
Due to an out-of-date source, last week’s coverage of the upcoming Rogue Fest (August 19-21, roguefest.ca) included a reference to a former musical collaborator of Roberts Creek blacksmith Kelly Backs.
Unfortunately, Dan Small passed away eight years ago. Instead, Chris Booth — the master brewer at the 101 Brewhouse in Gibsons — is the instigator of the intoxicating Blacksmith & Brewer duo of which Backs is part.
We apologize for the error, and encourage readers to take a listen at blacksmithbrewer.bandcamp.com.
