Westminster Pier Park is about to become the hottest summer hangout spot around.
The park will play host to Music by the River every Thursday night in July – with live musical performances, two DJ stages, buskers, artisan vendors, live painting and more.
“The idea is to activate Pier Park for the month of July with lots of art,” explains Stephen O’Shea, executive director of the Arts Council of New Westminster.
The arts council is partnering with Alex Jopson of City to Suburb Real Estate Group and the City of New Westminster to stage this summer’s concert series and arts festival.
The fun will happen from 5 to 8 p.m. every Thursday starting July 6, and every night is an all-ages affair.
It’s all in the vein of West Vancouver’s popular Harmony Arts Festival, though on a smaller scale – at least for now.
“It’s a massive vision from the arts community,” O’Shea says.
DJs from the New West Youth Centre will be spinning tunes, and the New West Craft market will have artisans on hand for shoppers. The Garden Gals – a New West art club that grew out of the New Westminster Horticultural Society – will have members on hand painting in the open air.
Kids will be able to take in live musical performances, ribbon dancing and more artistic fun.
As for mom and dad – well, how about the chance to purchase a Steel & Oak brew or a Pacific Breeze wine and stroll the park with it?
O’Shea is excited that the city has partnered with them to license the site for the Music by the River events. The Eats at the Pier concession stand will have local beer and wine for sale, and the entire length of the park will be licensed so people can go anywhere they like with their drink.
“I take my daughter down there all the time for ice cream,” O’Shea says. “When I’m there I’ll be able to have a can of Steel & Oak or a glass of Pacific Breeze wine while my daughter has her ice cream.”
Neal and Melinda Michael, who run a series of PopLuck potluck dinner events, are also joining in the fun and offering community dinners in conjunction with the Music by the River nights.
The month will include a couple of special nights.
On July 13, the arts council will present a live performance by Vancouver electronic band I M U R (I am you are), a band getting a lot of buzz from its debut EP Slow Dive, which recently landed them in No. 5 in Spotify’s Global Viral Top 50 charts.
And, on July 27, there will be a roundtable session in recognition of Canada’s 150th anniversary on the theme of River as Home – a partnership with the city, the New Westminster Museum and Archives, and the Fraser River Discovery Centre. People from the community are invited to take part in the discussion, which will be filmed and used as part of a short video exploring the idea of River as Home.
The whole idea is that the month’s events will celebrate the arts in all forms – and, in particular, the community of New West.
“There’s a very distinct New Westminster personality to it,” O’Shea says.
See www.acnw.ca/music-by-the-river or search out Music By the River on Facebook for more details.
The arts council is also in need of volunteers to help make the events happen – check out www.acnw.ca/volunteer for a form to fill out if you want to help.
