Celebrate with the Kootenay Festival today at Millennium Park
By Castlegar Source
Today’s the big day! The Eighth Annual Kootenay Festival has arrived and will happen between 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. at Millennium Park.
Recreation coordinator Audrey Maxwell Polovnikoff says this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever.
“It’s an incredible celebration of our arts, our heritage and our culture,” she said, adding there will be a vast array of vendors offering food, art, crafts, education, games, and more.
The event is characterized by tons of entertainment, from magicians to dance to music (including the musical stylings of our former MP, Alex Atamanenko).
If you find it too hot, play in the ponds, or try out paddleboards or kayaks with Endless Adventures … or just grab yourself a cold one at the beer gardens. Be sure not to miss the world-class sand sculptures offered by Sculpture Walk, and for a poignant finale, check out Castlegar Hospice’s floating lantern release at 6:30 p.m.
If you bring your Littles, you might want to check out the Grant Thornton Kidz Zone, the Ali Kazam Magic Show, the penny carnival, face-painting … the list goes on.
Also, you can spare yourself the downtown traffic logjam by utilizing the Park-and-Ride with Kootenay Festival shuttle services, sponsored by Mountain Transport Institute Ltd. Service will begin at 10:15 a.m. and continue throughout the day to and from the festival grounds at Millennium Park. Pick up and drop off points are available in the downtown area at the Station Museum (400 13 Ave.) and the uptown area at the Castlegar Recreation Complex (2101 6 Ave.).Shuttle service is free with MTI gladly accepting donations for the Castlegar Community Harvest Food Bank
Admission is free, although organizers are also grateful to accept donations – and spare kind wishes for Keynote sponsor Trowelex Rentals and Sales, who are celebrating their 50th year in business this year, as well as the many other organizations, individuals and volunteers who have given so much to make the event the stellar celebration it is today.
