Lytton River Festival – Labour Day Weekend
Each year the Lytton River Festival pays tribute to the Thompson and Fraser Rivers and celebrates Lytton’s vibrant community and First Nations culture. This free, family-friendly three-day event has live bands and street dances, children’s activities such as face painting and a climbing wall, farmers markets, organized hikes into the Stein Valley, First Nations artisans, and a traditional Pow Wow.
Visit www.riverfestival.ca/events/ for a complete list of events.
Friday morning kicks off with a stroll along the Fraser at 8:30 am after meeting at the Visitor Centre. The Farmers Market opens at 10 am Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit the Museum at 3pm for story telling – Lytton Legends. Have dinner at the Legion, 5:30. The Pernell Reichert Band takes to the stage at 5:30 and starts off an evening of music, capped off by Ritchie and the Fendermen at 9pm.
Start Saturday morning off with a Pancake Breakfast at the Parish Hall. 8-10:30am. The Festival officially opens at 10am with a Lytton hand drum welcome. The Welcome Booth opens at 10:30am and signals the beginning of many activities including live music, Gold Country’s new geocaching releases, the Two Rivers Art Show (11-6), Mr. Bubbles the Clown (noon-3 pm), Circus West performances, magic shows and workshops (1-3:30pm), and the climbing wall (2-4pm). Spiritus Mundii takes the stage at 5pm, followed by Ten Souljers at 7:30. They’ll stop for the Fire Dancer performance at 9pm and resume playing at 9:30.
Sunday is a little more laid back: the local First Nations artisans conduct workshops and demonstrations starting at noon and First Nations cultural performances take to the stage, first with the Tuckkwiowhum Heritage Inerpretive Village (1-2:30pm), followed by Kevin Loring’s Savage Society perform “Songs of the Land” (2:30-4pm), the Interactive First Nations Experience (4-5pm), ending with First Nations blues performer, Gerald Charlie from 5-7pm.
World music comes to Ashcroft Sept. 6
Rio Samaya thrilled crowds at the Spences Bridge Desert Daze Music Festival last week, they are coming back to play a few shows in the area.
UniTea Tea Room presents the Rio Samaya Band – a special and magical night of uplifting world folk music and dance with influences from around the world on Sunday, Sept. 6. Doors at 6:30pm – shows starts at 7:30pm.
Rio Samaya (Pancho and Sal) are based in Vancouver. Their compositions reflect the influences of flamenco and other folk rhythms.
Born in Argentina, Pancho moved to Europe as a young man to play guitar. He traveled throughout Europe, learning different styles of music and writing original compositions. Sal, born in England and raised in Canada, met Pancho in Cuzco, Peru. With their children grown up, Pancho and Sal spend much of their time traveling, seeking out new sounds and styles and playing their music around the world.
Over the last two years Pancho and Sal have created “The Rio Samaya Band” with the concept and project to tour Canada and the world as a duo and join with local musicians using the Rio Samaya Band Signature. Joining them from Ashcroft will be bassist Kirk Watson and percussionist Jan Schmitz.
Rio Samaya Band has already played with incredibly talented musicians across Canada, as far away as Beijing and most recently Goa in India.
Their style flows through the folkloric traditions of Central and South America. The audience in Ashcroft will get to hear musical selections inspired by Pancho and Sal’s latest travels to India, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Tickets at the door or reserve your by calling (250) 453-9345 – limited to the first 30 people only.
Bee Inspired at the Ashcroft Fall Fair Sept. 13
Everyone loves a fair. Sample a variety of food on the grounds, catch some of the live entertainment, visit with the animals on display or take a stroll through the various exhibits and entries. There is something for everyone.
This year’s volunteer-run Ashcroft Fall Fair will be held on Sunday, Sept. 13 from 10 am – 5 pm at Drylands Arena. With this year’s theme in mind, Bee Inspired!, the Fall Fair booklet can help you decide on what you’d like to make and enter. It can be viewed online at www.ashcroftfallfair.ca .
The entertainment lineup promises to have something for everyone. The Fair Stage runs from 10:30 am to 4 pm. Acts throughout the day include John Kidder and friends, Kamloops Old time Fiddlers and Filetta Fish.
Up next for WRAPS – My Fair Lady and Concert Series
WRAPS has had a very busy but fun summer presenting a stellar line-up for this season’s Music in the Park, along with being a major sponsor and supporter of the third Annual Ashcroft Wellness Festival, the Spences Bridge Desert Daze Music Festival, the Ashcroft Plein Air Paintout, and the Fine and Dramatic Performing Arts Camp for kids and teens.
The Society would like to thank all of the patrons in Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Spences Bridge and the Thompson-Nicola Region for supporting these successful activities.
There is more great entertainment being queued up for the Fall and Winter seasons, including the classic musical theater production of My Fair Lady in November; The Nautical Miles, a rollicking seven piece folk/rock band; a Vegas-style tribute to an incredible vocal stylist (Eva Cassidy – How Can I Keep From Singing); The Crimson Rich Duo with their beautiful music performed on Celtic Harp and cello, and a virtuoso presentation of classical piano music by award winning artist Sarah Hagen.
WRAPS will also be reaching out to the citizens of Cache Creek by hosting two of these events in their town. WRAPS has entered into an agreement with the Elders and congregation of the Crossroads Pentecostal Church on Stage Rd. to present two musical shows in this wonderful facility. For those who have not been in this building, it is an ideal venue for presenting music and artistic performances – with a large stage, stage lighting, musicians green room, an overhead AV display, and 32 channel sound board along with seating for up to 300 souls, a large kitchen/dining area and spacious lobby.
They are absolutely stoked about the upcoming play and the Winding Rivers Concert Series. Please check out this website (www.windingriversarts.ca) and our Facebook page for more information about dates and times and ticket prices.
As Eliza Doolittle would say – it will be loverly!
Nadine Davenport
