This is your official boarding call for an exciting celebration of art, culture, ideas and community this June 1-4 in beautiful Downtown Courtenay. Get ready to immerse yourself in an incredible cultural exchange featuring hundreds of artists, musicians and community champions from up and down Vancouver Island and across the Salish Sea.

The 5th Annual Elevate Arts Festival kicks off  this Wednesday night and things don’t stop till Saturday at midnight!  Idea exchanges, dance events, youth showcases, book launches, poetry on the plaza, scotch tastings, theatre, fools parade, photography, pop up parks, gallery openings and much more! This volunteer driven cultural adventure is dedicated to smashing boundaries between culture consumers and culture producers, celebrating the commons and creating barrier free opportunities to engage the culture life of our community.

Here’s what’s coming up!

Wednesday Eve: Check out CVC Community Voices: Series 1 at the Courtenay Museum followed by the #weareyqq mixer at Gladstone – both by donations to Elevate #elevatetheeconomy

Thursday Eve: The Elevate Underground Dance Showcase, SKIN: book launch, Woman and Words, Elevate Youth Music Night #1, The 80’s called, they want their art back Exhibition Opening,

Friday Eve: The Bacon Slam Poetry Event!, Mamahood – turn and face the strange theatrical reading, Scotch & Sonics at Bricks’s & Mortar,  Elevate Youth Music Night #2, Live Music at Billy’D’s, Sooner or Later Community CVAG Exhibition Opening and The Leg Up Program at the Avalanche!

Saturday: Day and Night Street Festival!, Photopia, Kids Workshops, Parade of Elevated Fools, Duncan Commons Carnival, 80’s retrospective art and music, Live Music Events, Random Acts of Poetry, Street Parks, Live Art, Pop Up Choir, Downtown Culture Crawl, Art on the Plaza, Kids Stuff, Fiery Circus and Dance Finale at 9 pm on the Commons, Street dance party and so much more!

Be sure to visit the website and scroll through the epic list of artist and performer bios. There are folks coming from near and far to shatter barriers and create together in the commons of Downtown Courtenay. Artists like – Firewood Poetry, 7 Story Circus, Casual Living, Chicken Like Birds, Scott Cook, Spaceport Union, DJ Eliazar, Colliding Canyons,  Texture and Light, Marie Metaphor, Old Growth Productions, The Kays, Nova Fire Spun Arts and the Flying Amanita Circus, The 2 Dope Boys, The Shrill Specters, Gerry Hannah and the New Questioning Coyote Brigade and so many more!

Join us in the cultural crossroads for the Comox Valley, home to regional arts facilities, creative businesses, beautiful landmarks and inspired community builders for a street level cultural celebration in the heart of our community.

It’s time to launch our 5th Annual Festival.  Climb in. Buckle up.  Get ready to Elevate.

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