Imagine your Slow Food Cycle weekend in Pemberton — insects buzzing in the fields as you make your way up Pemberton Meadows, stopping at farms along the way and sampling the eats offered, buying produce and other goodies to take home.
This year, music is also on the menu at the Slow Food Cycle weekend.
Now in its 12th year, around 4,000 people explore Pemberton Valley farms, tasting organic produce, other farm projects and checking out farming life.
It takes at least one hour to ride the entire route and the same amount of time to return.
The weekend kicks off with MADE (Music, Art, Dance & Eats), the annual fundraising dance for the Pemberton Arts and Culture Council (PACC), which takes place at the Pemberton Community Barn on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 7 p.m.
And the Slow Food Cycle itself takes place on Sunday, Aug. 21 — with some of the farms providing music to entertain cyclers.
Marnie Simons, PAC's president, says they moved MADE from the fall to coincide with the Slow Food Cycle this year.
"I'm a member of their board, so we hooked in with their program. It's a good thing for us and hopefully them as well," she says.
"We are celebrating music and culinary arts. We will have two vendors who will be offering locally grown food and something a little different.
"We want to stay with the theme of the Slow Food Cycle — so we've painted up a few bikes in psychedelic colours and lit them up. They will be all around the bar."
Pemberton band Big Mountain Rhythm are performing at MADE and Matt King, the band's vocalist and guitarist is looking forward to it for it.
"It's a great venue. I've been waiting to play the community barn, one of the few stages in the Sea to Sky that I haven't," he laughs.
"It's a barn dance so there will be some country-esque kinds of things in there, a few 'Fishing in the Dark-style' favourites. Then it's like every room, seeing what's working and turning that knob up."
Big Mountain Rhythm has been together for eight years, with King and percussionist Jeff Van Driel. For MADE special guest guitarist Gary Yoshida will join them.
"Between us, we have a pretty huge repertoire. It allows us to play the music that the crowd in front of us want to hear," King says.
Simons says the MADE evening will give overnight visitors to the village something to do, since the Slow Food Cycle has grown hugely, with many coming from Vancouver and beyond to take part.
"We're a very small group and we needed to do some fundraising so we thought we could change it up. Pemberton has this beautiful barn and there have been successful events there, so we thought we'd give it a try," Simons says.
"It's a night for dancing, eating and celebrating — and hopefully putting funds into PACC's coffers with the aim of getting a permanent facility where artists can show their work and work in a communal space. We don't have a home yet."
Tickets for MADE are $25, $22.50 for PACC members. They can be purchased at www.pembertonartscouncil.com or One Earth Connections in Pemberton. Food and drink tickets can be purchased at the event.
Slow Food Cycle music
Farmer Bruce Miller of Across the Creek Organics has brought in an old-time bluegrass band from Birkin to entertain from 10:30 a.m.
"It's headed by Larry Cosulich, whose family has been in Pemberton for generations," Miller says.
"The music adds so much, we had them here last year. People like to have a bit of a destination to come to and a cool spot to rest. It's an open house and a great way for people to feel welcome on farms."Tourism Pemberton has confirmed that Eddie's Corner and Collins Cross Farm/Bandit Farms are also providing music.
The Slow Food Cycle runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and starts on Pemberton Meadows Road at the location of the old Pemberton Community Centre.
Note: Pemberton Meadows Road will be closed to vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tickets for Slow Food Sunday are $5 for individuals and $20 for families, and can be purchased online at www.slowfoodcyclesunday.com. There is also a map and tips for having a great day out.
