North Peace Cultural Society to host three-day festival in June

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The North Peace Cultural Society will host its three-day festival celebrating local arts, culture and talent in June.  

The Bright Nights in June – Art Stars festival has been scheduled to start on Thursday, June 11th, from 7 p.m. onwards at the North Peace Cultural Centre located on 100th Avenue. 

The three-day festival has been organized to celebrate the centre’s 34th anniversary. 

Oliver Hachmeister, executive director of the North Peace Cultural Centre, said the festival began about 10 years ago. 

“[The festival] is designed to celebrate the arts in Fort St. John, primarily local artists,” Hachmeister said. 

The festival starts on Thursday with Art Stars, featuring three or four artists sharing their artistic journey, what inspires them, and where they are headed next. 

He said: “There’s usually an opportunity for the audience to ask some questions as well, so they get to learn a little bit about the artists, it’s almost [a] one-on-one session because it’s pretty low key.” 

On Friday, June 12th, Duane Steele will perform Troubadour: The Songs of Gordon Lightfoot, and on June 13th, the festival will conclude with an art market and big-print day. 

“Big Print Day is basically a number of artists who do print making, they create very large prints, and then we actually create the prints using [a] road construction roller,” Hachmeister explained. “It’s a very impressive thing to watch, and the artwork that comes out of them is also quite impressive.” 

The Bright Nights art market will give local artisans a chance to showcase their talent and sell their products. 

Several local organizations will also set up information tables to let people know about things they have happening over the summer or in the fall, Hachmeister said. 

The art market will have about 20 tables, and 10 more artists will be on-site for printmaking. 

“[For Art Stars]…we’re talking to a local tattoo artist and local performers,” he noted. “We’re also seeing if we can get an author or a poet.” 

Since its inception, Hachmeister said the artwork is always different. 

“We also try to have different workshops, performers, local artists performing on stage and some live painting as well,” he added. “There might be a competition in speed painting.” 

In the past, the festival featured tie-dyed t-shirts, music lessons, band students performing solo and solo dance performances. 

The festival is free to attend and only the concert on Friday will be ticketed. The price for adults is $45, for children $35, and for students and seniors it is $44.

To become a vendor at the art market, people can contact the centre by email: accounting@npcc.bc.ca or by phone at 250-785-1992.