Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Whistler Children's Art Fest keeps on going

"You can't get enough of it when it comes to kids."

Whistler Arts Council officials announced an all-star, all-day entertainment lineup earlier this week for the 2006 Whistler Children’s Art Festival, July 15 and 16 at Creekside.

"It’s the first time we’ve had a full-day-long mainstage shows on both days," said festival organizer Kelly Clarke of the Whistler Arts Council.

"Before we had shows intermittently through the day so once the mainstage stopped, everyone stopped. I wanted more and more entertainment. You can’t get enough of it when it comes to kids. We wanted to keep it constantly going."

The fun doesn’t stop between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. both days, with around-the-clock performances of music, dance, storytelling and theatrics.

The Blues Berries and Soul Funktion dancers will jazz things up on the mainstage. Zuva will serenade with Zimbabwean-style marimba music, the Eagle Song Dancers will share their time-honoured traditions, Art Napoleon blends First Nation storytelling with music and Will Stroet kicks up high-energy acoustics. Tony "Zany Zack" Kazoleas will mystify with magic and Angela Brown, better known as the Ta Daa Lady, will lead a colourful parade as well as a puppet and music show.

Franz’s Trail will provide the entranceway to festival grounds with musicians, actors and everything in between adding to the festivities.

Bec Webb will share her belly dancing feats. Susan Shrimpton will twist balloon animals. The music lineup includes funky acoustics from Rob Funk, reggae and world beats from Kostaman & Friends, First-Nations-inspired music from Gary Peterson, fiddling from Jocelyn and a blend of rock/folk from The Rutherford Creek Collective and Susan Holden.

The festival also hosts a storytelling area along with all of its workshops, mainstage shows and roving entertainers. Local favourite Stephen Vogler returns with fantastical yarns for storytelling corner. Art Napoleon and the Eagle Song Dancers will also share First Nations traditions and tales.

Registration for festival workshops begins Monday, July 10. Check out next week’s Pique Newsmagazine for workshop listings.

For more information, visit www.whistlerartscouncil.com