A new date for Uptown Live has struck a positive note with the City of New Westminster.
On Monday night, city council approved Aug. 10 as the date of this year’s Uptown Live festival.
“We did a check of other events in the city on that Aug. 10 date that the UBA was proposing for Uptown Live. The only other conflicting event on that day was the New Westminster Cultural Crawl,” said Blair Fryer, the city’s manager of communications and economic development. “In communication with the organizer of the Cultural Crawl, they indicated they were quite enthusiastic about Uptown Live being held on that day. In fact, they saw a lot of synergies between the two events so they can work together.”
Uptown Live was originally intended to be held on May 24 following the Hyack parade, but that date provided too little time to organize the music and street festival. The Uptown Business Association proposed July 27 (a date that raised concerns as it was the same weekend as the 12th Street Music Festival) and then Aug. 10.
The third Uptown Live aims to bring together the best of British Columbia’s indie music scene, while offering up a wide array of food selections, art exhibits and a host of interactive activities for the entire family.
“We believe Uptown Live is ready for its own stand-alone date, and we are excited to move to the summer when we are more likely to enjoy great weather,” Bart Slotman, chair of the Uptown Business Association of New Westminster, said in a press release. “It’s clear Uptown Live is hitting all the right notes in attracting a vibrant, young crowd and generating significant commercial activity.”
New Westminster city council has approved $28,000 in cash and $20,000 for in-kind city services to the Uptown Business Association to put on this year’s Uptown Live street festival. The Uptown Business Association of New Westminster is also providing funds for the event.
In its first two years, Uptown Live was held in May immediately following the conclusion of the Hyack International Parade.
“It was difficult for our event team to get all our event sponsors and exhibitors in place in a timely fashion once the parade concluded,” Slotman said. “This way, we can not only mitigate the May weather, but also achieve a better event layout.”
The New Westminster Cultural Crawl has written to the city endorsing the Aug. 10 date for Uptown Live.
“As an organizing committee, we are committed to providing the community with a premier event,” Slotman said. “The quality of entertainment on our multiple stages and the array of activities for children speak volumes for our commitment to producing a first class event.”
