Osoyoos singer and songwriter Cindy Doucette will be one of the feature performers when the Town of Osoyoos hosts its inaugral Art in the Park event at Gyro Beach on Saturday, Aug. 4. Several singers, dancers, bands and artisans will be showcasing their talents in an event organizers are hoping will become an annual event for years to come. Photo by Keith Lacey.
The Town of Osoyoos has organized its inaugural Art in the Park event to showcase the talents of local musicians, dancers and artisans.
“Our plan is to promote local artisans through an annual art festival … and not just local artisans, but artisans from across the (Okanagan) Valley,” said Jim Newman, the town’s director of community development and organizer of the Art in the Park event, set for Saturday, Aug. 4 at Gyro Park.
The day will feature a celebration of music, dance, painting and pottery and will run from noon until 8 p.m. and is designed to be family-friendly, said Newman.
“We invite all members of the family to come down to the park for a day of celebrating the arts,” he said. “They can come down and have a picnic or purchase food from the vendors down there. It’s a real family day so we won’t be having a beer garden or anything like that. It’s a celebration of the arts for every member of the family.”
Students from the local Dance Oasis studio will kick off the event at noon. First Nations Song and Dance performers will hit the stage at 12:15 p.m. Another musician, yet to be announced, will perform at 2 p.m. Local country singer Mickie Spillet will perform starting at 3 p.m. and will be followed by East Coast Music Award winner Scott Parsons at 4 p.m. Local singer-songwriter Cindy Doucette will perform at 5 p.m., while Kevin Foley, one of Canada’s most sought-after Neil Young tribute artists, will close out the show from 6-8 p.m.
There will also be an art and pottery show and sale area, which includes an interactive area where local painters and potters will be putting on displays of their work and techniques throughout the day, said Newman.
“We want this to grow into an annual event and the hope is to have good response this year and then maybe turn it into a two-day weekend art festival as soon as next year,” said Newman. “It will also be a good way for local artisans to showcase their work and hopefully be able to sell some of their stuff.”
There are a lot of talented artistic people in Osoyoos and surrounding area and the hope is this Art in the Park event will be able to showcase a wide spectrum of artists once a year in early August, he said.
All of the artists who have been invited to participate in the inaugural event seem very excited to be part of this event and Newman remains confident there will be a large crowd of local residents and tourists who will flock down to Gyro Park to enjoy the Art in the Park event.
