Canadians are crazy for summer festivals. Give us a weekend weather forecast which suggests the possibility of no rain or snow and we head out en masse to take in multistage events all across the country.
Some — Montreal Jazz Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival and Calgary’s Sled Island — have become global brands.
People know what they are getting into if they head to them, and that should liven up the experience, but to really glean the greatest benefit from your festival purchase, you need to exercise some discretion in selecting the right event for your tastes.
There are a lot of choices out there, so here are our choices for this summer season., with some alternatives.
ROOTS AND BLUES
Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival
August 17-20
|
Salmon Arm
Tickets and info
: From $69, at
For a quarter century, this festival has pursued a mission statement to present world class and diverse music in a community of celebration. Family friendly, with a lovely site, the festival brings in the big names, too. Among the headliners this year is Alex Cuba, the multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and the biggest star to call Smithers, home; a Stax Soul Revue, headed up by no less than Booker T. Jones of Green Onions fame; and legendary Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.
Alternative:
Burnaby Blues Festival
August 12, 1 p.m.
|
Deer Lake Park
Tickets
: From $55, at
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue headline this popular event.
METAL
Armstrong Metal Fest
July 14-15
|
Armstrong
Tickets
: From $70, at
Half the fun of this event is trying to read the hyper stylized band logos that adorn the poster. But check out the sampler of artists appearing on the Facebook site and you get the range from Vancouver’s math-meet-funk mob Ninjaspy to Terrifier, whose Weapons of Thrash Destruction deserves a best title award if nothing else. Toss in some Thrash Wrestling events and more, and this is a whole lot of headbanging good times.
Alternative: Metallica WorldWired Tour 2017
Aug. 14, 6 p.m.
|
B.C. Place
Tickets
: From $55, at
The new album Hardwired … to Self-Destruct is the band’s best in over a decade.
JAZZ
Kaslo Jazz Festival
Aug. 4-6
|
Kaslo
Tickets
: From $97.50, at
Considered a gem by fans, this festival includes a floating stage on Kootenay Lake where you can take in the music from the beachside or boogie on down in the water. To say that results in some very interesting interpretive water ballet is an understatement. With the incredible Charles Bradley & the Extraordinaires and Preservation Hall Jazz Band among the headliners, this party is going to swing hard.
Alternative: TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival
June 22-July 2
|
Various Vancouver venues
Tickets
: From $30, at
There is A]always plenty to take in at Vancouver’s multi-venue event. In 2017, don’t miss Dálava on June 23.
EDM (Electronic Dance Music)
Motion Notion
Aug. 24-28
|
Golden
Tickets
: From $269, at
With BassCoast, Shambhala and others, it’s hard to choose where to get your glowstick dance-a-thon on. This year, the lineup at this event caught our attention with its inclusion of Datsik, Dirtyphonics, Koan Sound, and The Funk Hunters among others. For a change of scenery, the Golden locale is a great setting for hiking, swimming, chilling and morning mud yoga. Not sure about the last one, but it seems likely.
Alternative: FVDED in the Park
July 7-8
|
Holland Park, Surrey
Tickets and info
: From $119.50,
The mainstream alternative with headliners the Chainsmokers, Wiz Khalifa, Dillon Francis, and others.
COUNTRY
Rockin’ River Musicfest
Aug. 3-6 |
Merritt
Tickets and info
: From $159, at
Rockin’ River features notable Canadian country artists like Crystal Shawanda, Aaron Pritchett and Washboard Union, Toby Keith and the Band Perry. Alongside the flowing creek, you can chill out in the daytime, then swap the bathing gear for your boots and big buckle and two-step the night away. Or line dance. That’s right, it still happens.
Alternative: 40th Vancouver Folk Music Festival
July 13-16 |
Jericho Beach Park
Tickets
: From $65, at
The country oriented acts appearing at this event are more on the deeper roots side of things, but Kathleen Edwards and Tift Merritt hold their own. And there is nothing more authentically country than the Native North America: A Gathering of Indigenous Trailblazers tour uniting some serious singer/songwriters from the 1960s and 70s enjoying a renewed career.
Snoop Dogg.
ROCK AND HIP HOP
Centre of Gravity
July 28-30
|
Kelowna
Tickets
: From $189.95, at
Now that Pemberton is over, finding that right rock and hip-hop fix just isn’t as easy. Or is it? Because this event mixing music and sports like motocross, it adds up to some extreme fun in the hot and sweaty heart of Okanagan wine country; With Snoop Dogg headlining and Schoolboy Q and others, this is predominantly about beats and dance bangers. Still, that was mostly what was best about those other two festivals that have been cancelled.
Alternative: Guns N Roses Not In This Lifetime Tour
Sept. 1, 7:30 p.m.
|
B.C. Place
Tickets
: From $35, at
The return of one of the best selling and most swaggering of the hard rock bands to emerge from the Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip 1980s hair metal scene. Guns N Roses were different ± more punk in attitude, more Aerosmith in style. They are bound to be a wild ride, and hopefully, venue lineup problems will be sorted out.
FAMILY
Kaleidoscope Arts Festival
Aug. 12, 2-10 p.m.
| Coquitlam
Free:
This is the second year for this Coast Capital Savings-sponsored family festival. With arts, crafts, performances and plenty of picnic spaces, this event also includes a headlining show from B.C.’s Bif Naked, food trucks and craft beer. Better yet, the location is right across the street from the Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain Station, so you can take transit.