If you’ve been meaning to get out to the 39 Days of July in Charles Hoey Park in downtown Duncan, this weekend is your last chance.
The festival wraps up after the long weekend, but there’s plenty of great acts to catch before the curtain falls on the 2021 edition.
From folk-pop artist Kele Fleming who will be playing the festival on July 31, to the KeyWinds Trio, a chamber group of Cowichan musicians, a Zumba class, a preview of the Shawnigan Players’ The Winter’s Tale, and a first-rate rock band tribute, the stage will be the place to catch live entertainment of every stripe.
If you’re looking for a good workout, catch Zumba with Roslyn on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.
When Fleming takes the stage on Saturday at 2 p.m. you’re sure to hear her brand new single ‘Me Oh My’, about “past experiences, big life changes, and hope for the future.”
That night, catch TNT, an AC/DC tribute band covering the Bon Scott era, which has returned for the 10th anniversary of the festival.
And there’s plenty of great acts in between.
On Sunday, Aug. 1 at 2 p.m. get your classical music fix with the KeyWinds Trio, made up of Yvonne Gillespie on piano, Margaret St. Cyr on French horn, and Annick Richardson and clarinet. These three accomplished musicians promise a set of music in the “Romantic style”.
That night take a left turn into reggae, with Cheko and the Positive Rebellion hitting the stage at 8:30 p.m.
Then, on the final day of the festival Monday, Aug. 2 the Shawnigan Players bring Shakespeare to the park with a preview of their show The Winter’s Tale, which people can see in full by buying tickets to their performances at Evergreen School in Cobble Hill (https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/cowichan-valley-shakespeare-festival-2021-tickets-160397476169?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR15orpW7UNCF8JMZYGhgWPybP8Gj6yKrlHcUoJoLwB_sBZN1gsGHseyoz0). But if you just want a taste of Shakespeare, here’s your chance.
At 6 p.m. Buckman Coe takes the stage. This Vancouver-based roots and soul performer also wanted to come back to help celebrate the festival’s 10th anniversary.
Wrapping up the 39 Days is Tonye Aganaba at 7 p.m. Aganaba is described as “a multidisciplinary artist, musician, and facilitator residing on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Their new album Something Comfortable is an intentional and devotional endeavour inspired by their battle with multiple sclerosis.”
That’s just a snapshot of some of what’s on stage. The festival runs daily from noon to evening. See the full schedule of performers here: https://www.39daysofjuly.ca/2021-schedule
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If there’s a lull between performances at the 39 Days of July, you can head to Imagine That! on Craig Street in downtown Duncan to check out their new window displays.
Starting July 30 one window will feature the watercolours of Jennifer Lawson, with the other will feature the pottery of Hilary Huntley.
“Painting is an expression of my perennial love affair with life and the beauty around me,” Lawson says of her work. “As I gaze out of my 1863 log house studio, down to the Cowichan River and Bay where I swim all summer or up to Mount Tzouhalem, to a sacred peak where I hike every day, I am in awe of the rich spectrum of compositions that unfold. I like fresh air and old linens, architecture and antiques and whether painting an old milk jug filled with sweet peas, a riotous country garden, Victorian house or bowl of sun-warmed peaches, I’m looking to express a wider experience, a vivid harmony, a balance of energy, form and beauty.”
Huntley has been a potter since 1996. She began to develop her craft while serving as a firefighter in Alberta, but shifted careers and move to Vancouver Island in 2006. She now sells her pottery in galleries, online and at a farm-stand style mini store in Cowichan Bay.
Hilary Huntley’s pottery will be displayed in one of the windows at Imagine That! in downtown Duncan through August. (Submitted)
