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Flag Stop Arts Festival returns with more events

Three-day weekend fun at The Point Artist-Run Centre on Alta Lake
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Splashy theatre The Point's floating stage will show two plays at this year's Flag Stop Arts Festival from Aug. 11 to Aug. 13. photo submitted

In 2012 there was a heavy Perseid meteor shower that wowed the people spending the evening at the first Flag Stop Arts Festival at The Point Artist-Run Centre on Alta Lake.

The Point's executive director Stephen Vogler remembers it well.

"It was just after the lantern boat parade on the lake," he recalls.

"This year on the Friday and Saturday nights the Perseid meteor shower is back and we're hoping for another celestial display to help us celebrate five years."

The three-day festival runs this year from Thursday, Aug. 11 to Saturday, Aug. 13 and caps a busy summer of children's camps and Sunday music nights.

"It's exciting to be celebrating the fifth annual for sure. This year we've gone a bit bigger, added a third night. We've ended going with more (Sea to Sky) corridor-wide artists — it's more local and regional than in the past. I feel like we are celebrating the high level of creativity of artists in the area."

The festival began with one night and slowly expanded. The theme this year is fringe activities.

New this year is Thursday's film night, and the popular theatre productions on a stage that floats on the lake is also returning. The popular lantern boat parade is taking place at twilight.

This year's festival includes:

Thursday, Aug. 11 — Doors and live music at 7 p.m., lantern boat parade at 8:30 p.m., and outdoor film Fido at 9 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 12 — Free children's theatre performance at 3 p.m., roving musician Bethany Parsons, dinner and cash bar at 6 p.m., premiere of Brandon Barrett's play Between Two Tall Mountains at 7 p.m., and dancing to The Hounds of Buskerville at 9 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 13 — Roving musicians Monty Biggins and Radim Koppitz, dinner and cash bar at 6 p.m., Get to The Point improv troupe at 7 p.m., Flag Stop Theatre Troupe's Classic Scenes with a Twist! at 8 p.m., and dancing to the Will Ross Band at 9 p.m.

Writer (and Pique journalist) Barrett says his play Between Two Tall Mountains is his first.

"It was a very trying, personal project that deals with a lot of issues people often sweep under the rug: mental illness, suicide, family strife," Barrett said in an email.

"But I couldn't have done it without the amazing cast I have the privilege of working with, who each brought a piece of themselves to the play and made it even better than I could have imagined."

The festival will be on, rain or shine, moving indoors if the weather turns bad.

There are various ticket prices, depending on day or activity. Thursday evening tickets are $10. Day tickets from Friday or Saturday are $40 with dinner or $25 show only. Children 12 and under are $25 with dinner or $15 show only.

Tickets for both Friday and Saturday are $70 with dinner or $40 show only.

Tickets are available online at www.thepointartists.com and at Armchair Books in Whistler Village.