As summer hits us, most of us gravitate toward beaches and summer cottages. We are out there to cool off or get away from the routines of Castlegar city life. We’re looking to be renewed.
Fair enough! But right here in Castlegar, enough is going on to ring a change in our lives. By the time you read this, many of you will have participated in the Canada Day celebrations both at the Station Museum and at the Recreation Complex field. You will have had your share of early morning pancakes cooked by the Mayor, and you will have accompanied your children to the evening outdoor movie.
That’s just the start, though. To begin July, everyone should take half a day and stroll from one point of the Castlegar Sculpture Walk to its end a few blocks away. I haven’t yet viewed them all, but the ones I’ve seen have been marvelous. Because these outdoor artists are from a variety of North American locations, you can be lifted out of your ordinary sense of self by standing in front of one of these 30 structures.
If you have to stay in the city during the summer, you owe it to yourself to participate in Art Walk 2013. These art works are available all summer at various local businesses. For example, if you would like to see the latest by Sandy Donohue, you should wander through Kalawsky Chevrolet. If you want to look at the watercolours of a newer artist, you could try Andy Saumure’s work at Kel Print.
Even if you’re at the lake or camping at Syringa, you might want to come back to the city to take part in the annual Bluegrass Jamboree at Pass Creek. In fact, if your plan is to camp a bit in July, you could camp at Pass Creek and be really close to the music and the many activities going on. This one-of-a-kind event takes place from July 12 to 14.
Later on Sunday July 28, you may want to shelve all of your other summer plans and spend several hours at the Kootenay Festival at Heritage Way in Castlegar. For those unfamiliar with Heritage Way, it is the strip of land by the Doukhobor Village across from the airport. The admission is inexpensive at $2, which gives you access to live music, dance, magic, comedy and cuisine from the diverse cultures of the Kootenays. For young artists and interested teens, a new feature will be a graffiti wall created to the accompaniment of music.
If you’re stuck in town with children ages eight to 12, you can get a little relief by registering your kids for the Kids’ Art Camps at the Kootenay Gallery. Your children will be delighted to do splatter paintings, printmaking, rubbings, plasticine molding, block printing, leather masks, collages, oil pastels, and pinwheels. They will be busy learning these techniques from accomplished artists. These camps run throughout the summer beginning July 2.
If your children are more into other types of fun, you can sign them up for the Summer Cool Camps organized by the Recreation Complex. These weekly sessions feature everything from cooking to mad science to sports. These activities are designed to have young people experience activities beyond what the normal year provides.
If you venture back to the city on Wednesday or Saturday each week, you need not be bored. On Wednesdays, you can enter Kinnaird Park and take in the week’s concert in the park. Shows are at 7 p.m. with a range of groups entertaining.
Every Saturday, stop by the Castlegar Farmers’ Market and look for local items to keep your summer humming.
