If you like banjo pickin’ and lively country music, the Hazelton Hops Hootenanny this Saturday and Sunday sounds like it’s right up your alley.
If that’s all you’re looking for, the local event with that name isn’t quite up that particular alley. But that doesn’t mean that the event is any less interesting or attractive. There will be live music, local foods, various homesteading workshops. And before I forget, hops and beer.
The event will be held in the midst of the height of the hops harvest season. There will be the opportunity to attend beer making as well as other workshops.
Laurie Gallant of the host Bulkley Canyon Ranch & Hazelton Hops said that the farm grows beer-making hops and she was interested in getting people to get to know more about the beer ingredients and what goes into your body.
“We’re really interested in supporting a sustainable local economy. A beer festival is kind of a continuation of engaging people in that discussion in a way that’s more fun ,” she said.
“It’s an opportunity to sample beers that some of the new northern breweries are producing. We’re also gearing up the population to realize that there are more local beers to drink.”
Since hops are also used medicinally, they will have a plant medicine workshop at the hootenanny. The plant is known for use by people with anxiety and insomnia since it has a sedative effect.
“Besides being a place to grow our own hops, the farm also acts as a nursery for other farms or breweries who want to grow their hops with us. We’ll be able to sell the plants that have acclimatized to our region,” she said.
The musical selection has something for everyone according to Gallant.
“We’ll have some bluegrass music but we are really featuring northern roots kind of music. All the bands are from the area and have a broad range of genres. Probably the only thing not represented would be heavy metal and classical music,” she said.
Last year they ran a similar event with food and beverages but this year they wanted to add in a few extras like some workshops and more music.
Hazelton Hops Hootenanny is being organized by the Permaculture Farm Festival Club which is a non-profit organization which delivers community events that promote agri-tourism, permaculture, food security and the performing arts in the Bulkley Valley and Hazelton region.
Gallant said that they were offering people a good time but were also demonstrating a model for agritourism and providing a demonstration of what a harvest festival can look like. In addition, they were helping others with the technical details of how to put an event like this together.
“I feel that agritourism is an extension of the kind of tourism that this area is growing right now,” she said.
You can find Bulkley Canyon Ranch & Hazelton Hops at 359 Bulkley Canyon Station Road.
Tickets are on sale at Mountain Eagle Books: Earlybird weekend pass $75, Saturday only $50, Sunday only $40. Humans under 15 by donation.
