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A very hippie birthday to Jerry Garcia

Arts News: WFF Vancouver celebration tickets on sale; outdoor films postponed
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The other Whistler Jerrys FOMO is celebrating the 75th birthday of late Grateful Dead vocalist Jerry Garcia. PHOTO submitted

Jerry Garcia's 75th birthday will not go unnoticed in Whistler.

FOMO, the resort's Grateful Dead tribute band, is playing its annual show in honour of the late hippie icon at the Garibaldi Lift Company on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 5 p.m.

"We love the music, which spans all genres; and the jams on the right day just levitate the crowd off the ground. I think what really keeps the Deadhead community together is the vibe that the Dead imparted at their shows," says FOMO vocalist and guitarist Robcat Hughes.

Founded in 1965, the Grateful Dead was known for its unique rock style. The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994,

Hughes says FOMO was created in 2010 as a way to celebrate Garcia's birthday on Aug. 1, which Deadheads mark over the first week of the month.

"We played our first show huddled under an awning in the rain trying not to get electrocuted, but the patio was full of Deadheads regardless of the weather, missing Jerry (who died in 1995) and loving the Dead," Hughes says.

Celebrate WFF in Vancouver

The annual Celebrate WFF: Countdown Benefit in support of the Whistler Film Festival Society is taking place at Big Rock Brewery in Vancouver on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m.

The event is the festival's annual summer party to mark the 14-week countdown to WFF's 17th edition from Nov. 29 to Dec. 3, and raises funds to support programs.

Early-bird tickets are on sale until Aug. 15 for $75, with regular tickets available for $95 from Aug. 16.

For more information, visit www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.

Function block party wants performers

Artists, bands and other volunteers are wanted for the Function Junction Block Party on Sunday, Aug. 27 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The main event will be on closed-off areas around Millar Creek Road, with food trucks, a kids' zone and more.

To sign up, visit www.fjwhistlerassoc.com.

Outdoor screenings postponed due to fire hazard

Family film screenings scheduled for Whistler Creekside have been postponed and will be relocated, owing to extreme fire hazard conditions.

Wayne's World (Aug. 2) and E.T. The Extraterrestrial (Aug. 9) were part of Whistler Summer Cinema, sponsored by the Whistler Film Festival (WFF), Whistler Blackcomb and Whistler Creekside Village.

Nikki Segovia of WFF says to look out for rescheduling information on WFF's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram pages and on its website at www.whistlerfilmfestival.com.

Araxi cookbook shortlisted

Araxi: Roots to Shoots, Farm Fresh Recipes by Executive Chef James Walt is on the shortlist for the 2017 Taste Canada Awards in the category of General Cookbooks (English language).

The Araxi book offers the Whistler restaurant's celebrated farm-to-table recipes for home cooks.

The winners will be announced at a gala in Toronto on Oct. 30.