Inaugural Ponderosa Arts and Music Festival set for Labour Day long weekend
Photo supplied
Zia Zahrabi (left) and Kris Hargrave are organizing a new music festival at Rock Creek over the Labour Day weekend, the Pondorosa Arts and Music Festival.
Two music lovers from the South Okanagan have organized a new music festival they hope will be around for years to come.
Good friends Zia Zahrabi, 29, and Kris Hargrave, 28, are organizing a new music festival coming to Rock Creek this Labour Day long weekend.
Zahrabi and Hargrave grew up in the South Okanagan, but have called Vancouver home for many years.
The event is called the Ponderosa Arts and Music Festival. The event is designed to showcase musicians and artists from western Canada and attract people from all over the South Okanagan and other parts of British Columbia for a weekend of great music and good fun, said Zahrabi.
“I went to high school in Oliver and my dad still owns a small farm north of Oliver. Last summer I came up with the idea of putting together a camping weekend of music and fun at my dad’s farm and inviting a few of my friends,” he said. “We ended up with about 80 people and everyone had a blast. That’s when Kris and I came up with the idea of trying to put together a festival here in the South Okanagan.
“We had both attended the Rock Creek Fall Fair many times as kids and when we approached the fall fair festival people up there, they were incredibly receptive.”
The Ponderosa Arts and Music Festival will take place from Friday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 2, with musical performances taking place all day Saturday and Sunday.
Musical genres will vary between folk, indie rock, electronic and funk, said Zahrabi.
“We didn’t want to get pigeon-holed into one specific genre of music, so we thought we would try and get some bands in here that appeal to a wide cross-section of music fans,” he said.
Some of the bands that have already been confirmed for the inaugural festival include recording artists Gold & Youth, Bend Sinister from Vancouver and Humans, who are all from Vancouver, and Close Talker, who hail from Saskatoon.
The event will be an open air festival with camping accommodations adjacent to the festival grounds and the beautiful Kettle River.
“In addition to music, we want to showcase the work of different artists from this region and businesses,” said Zahrabi. “The intention is to provide artists of all kinds with exposure.”
There will be various food vendors on site.
There will be a second small stage at the site featuring more bands that have yet to be confirmed. Musicians will also be invited to perform on the second stage as part of an “open mic” format throughout the weekend, said Zahrabi.
A total of 20 bands and DJs will be performing at the event.
Zahrabi said he and Hargrave “would be thrilled” if the weekend festival would draw 1,000 people.
“With the calibre of bands we’ve confirmed and the beautiful site we’re using along the Kettle River, we think we’re offering an outdoor camping festival that people will be interested in from across the South Okanagan,” he said. “We’re really hoping we will get a good response because we would certainly like to make this an annual event. Our target is 1,000 for our first festival and we really think we can reach those numbers.”
Tickets for the event are priced at $125 and include full access to the festival grounds throughout the weekend, live music for two days, three nights of camping and free parking. Weekend pass prices have been reduced to $400 for a group of four for a limited time.
For more information, go online and visit www.ponderosafestival.com.
BY KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
