The Chilliwack Tulip Festival is an annual tradition that draws tens of thousands of visitors from across the region as soon as the fields begin to bloom for their brief growing season. Since it launched in 2006, it has become the largest tulip event in BC with millions of bulbs blooming across 20 acres, showcasing 30 tulip varieties, and 15 types of daffodils.
The various tulip varieties bloom at different times, so that all of the flowers can be enjoyed throughout the season, just in different locations around the fields. There will be between 7 and 20 acres of flowers in full bloom for the duration of the festival.
The first few days will feature the early blooming varieties of tulips, including the “World’s Favourite,” as well as the double daffodils, located in the far field of the farm, so those with mobility issues may wish to visit later in the festival when the front fields are in bloom.
For those wanting to capture perfect keepsake memories of their visit (or simply add incomparable bursts of colour and beauty to their Insta feed), there are several photo-op props throughout the grounds, including seven sets of swings, several raised platforms, a 1950s Morris convertible, and an antique horse cart. Guests can also enjoy the many outdoor lawn games available to play.
Additionally, The Farm Shop will be open daily, offering fresh cut and potted tulips, sunflower seeds for the garden, and tulip-themed souvenirs, along with individually wrapped frozen treats and bottled refreshments. Three food trucks will rotate onsite. Follow the Chilliwack Tulip Festival on Facebook for the latest info and updates.
Dancers of Damelahamid celebrate the 15th annual Coastal Dance Festival, showcasing Indigenous stories, song, and dance from across Canada and around the world, April 20-24, 2022 at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster.
Dancers of Damelahamid by Chris Randle
15th Anniversary Coastal Dance Festival
When: April 20-23, 2022
Where: Anvil Centre (777 Columbia St, New Westminster)
This year’s festival will participate in Canada’s yearlong Nordic Bridges initiative, fostering cultural exchange between Canada and the Nordic region through the multidisciplinary presentation of contemporary art, culture and ideas. To honour the festival’s milestone anniversary, Dancers of Damelahamid will also create a short documentary available online this summer, sharing stories about its community of dancers and highlighting themes of cultural revitalization and resiliency.
As part of Nordic Bridges, the Festival will premiere works from four Indigenous Sámi artists from Norway and Sweden. An evening dedicated to contemporary Indigenous dance – a festival first – will feature a duet from Swedish Sámi contemporary dancers Liv Aira, artistic director of the Sámi-based Invisible People Contemporary Dance, and Marika Renhuvud, a dance educator and member of Aira’s dance company, as well as Norwegian Sámi aerial acrobatic dancer Camilla Therese Karlsen, who will perform with two members of her company. Joining the contemporary program is a local Indigenous artist who will make their festival debut: Tasha Faye Evans (Coast Salish), a Port Moody dance and theatre artist, who will share an excerpt of her latest work Cedar Woman.
The festival will also present several traditional Indigenous artists, including Norway’s Sámi singer and activist Sara Marielle Gaup and Sámi singer and poet Lawra Somby, as well as introduce Theland Kicknosway (Potawatomi, Cree), an 18-year-old youth activist, influencer and hoop dancer from Walpole Island, Bkejwanong Territory, in Ontario.
Liv Aira and Marika Renhuvud by Sami Maldonado Lizarazu
In addition to signature presentations from Sámi artists from Norway and Sweden, this year’s festival welcomes performances from 15 Indigenous groups from throughout British Columbia, Washington, Alaska, the Yukon, and Ontario.
Returning to the program includes numerous festival favourites: dynamic dance group Chinook Song Catchers (Skwxwu7mesh, Nisga’a); Squamish-based Spakwus Slolem (Skwxwu7mesh); mask-dancing groups Git Hayetsk (Nisga’a, Tsimshian) and Git Hoan (Tsimshian); a family group from many First Nations Xwelmexw Shxwexwo:s (Stó:lō, Musqueam, Sts:ailes, Snuneymuxw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Skwxwu7mesh); Rainbow Creek Dancers (Haida), in celebration of traditional Haida ceremonial dances; the return of Tooma Laisa and Leanna Wilson, drum dancers and throat singers of traditional Inuit songs; the award-winning Inland Tlingit Dakhká Khwáan Dancers; Yisya̱’winux̱w, a group representing many of the 16 tribes of the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw people; Chesha7 iy lha mens (Skwxwu7mesh, Stó:lō, Tsimsian), a family group of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters; Kwhlii Gibaygum, a highly energetic group representing the Nisga’a people of the Nass River valley in Northern British Columbia; and Dancers of Damelahamid (Gitxsan, Cree), whose performance will focus on the strength of Indigenous Elders in carrying artistic practices through the generations.
Dancers of Damelahamid. Photo by Chris Randle.
Coastal Dance Festival will also introduce an Artist Sharing this year, which promises to complement the festival’s signature evening and festival stage performances.
The series will serve as a platform for cultural sharing, featuring panel discussions and short presentations to deepen our understanding of Indigenous artistic practices, histories and sources of inspiration. Included in the Artist Sharing are Sámi artists Liv Aira, Marika Renhuvud, Sara Marielle Gaup, and Lawra Somby, as well as local artists Terri-Lynn Williams Davidson and Robert Davidson (Haida), fashion and jewelry designer Pam Baker (Skwxwu7mesh, Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw), fashion and regalia designer and Dancers of Damelahamid dancer Rebecca Baker-Grenier (Skwxwu7mesh, Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw), and contemporary Indigenous artist Andy Everson (K’omoks, Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw).
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away, and the winner can choose to attend the Signature Evening Performances on either April 21st or 22nd. Here’s how you can enter to win:
The Skoden Indigenous Film Festival is back for its fourth-year March 31 to April 2, 2022 within the shared territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Skoden is a three-day student-led film festival which features exclusively Indigenous filmmakers and creatives from across Canada.
Skoden Indigenous Film Festival
When: Thursday, March 31 to Saturday, April 2, 2022
Where: Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema – SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W. Hastings St. Vancouver)
The “Skoden Sampler” March 31st is at SFU Surrey from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
Used by Indigenous communities from coast to coast to coast, Skoden is a unifying word that transcends a single language. Skoden is slang for “let’s go then”. It’s an attitude and a battle cry and we’ve decided to take it to heart.
Held within the heart of xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Kwantlen, q̓íc̓əy̓ (Katzie), Qayqayt, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen Nations territories, Skoden Indigenous Film Festival celebrates the works of Canadian based Indigenous filmmakers and talent, and features indigenous cultural traditions, including a welcome ceremony and witness.
Founded on the principles of truth and reconciliation, Carr Sappier (Wolastoqew) and Grace Mathisen created the festival in 2019. It’s organized and led by a class of students from all over SFU’s School of Contemporary Arts, and co-taught by Carr Sappier and Kathleen Mullen. This year intern Akira Iahtail will also be assisting with the festival.
Festival-goers are able to attend film programs and Q&As, celebrating Indigenous voices and cultivating more active discussions about reconciliation. The Festival welcomes new traditions and invites anyone who is interested in making the community more inclusive to come, learn, and share with them in the spirit of Skoden.
Springtime is here and so are all the blossoms! The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off this weekend with self-guided tours, community gatherings and more. There’s a great theatre lineup this month as well, along with outdoor activities and art exhibitions. Find all of these and more events in Vancouver this weekend listed below:
SPUD.ca and Vancouver Coastal Health‘s Healthiest Babies Possible are fundraising for vulnerable mothers and their infants in Vancouver and Richmond. On spud.ca, locals can toward donate diapers, food, wipes and other necessities these local moms and their babies need to get the very best start to their new life together.
Healthiest Babies Possible Fundraiser
Coming together with vendors such as Caboo who are donating baby wipes (and matching customer donations up to $500), SPUD has also connected Healthiest Babies Possible with bigger names such as Jennifer Garner’s, Once Upon a Farm and Kristin Bell & Dax Shepard’s Hello Bello, with each brand giving 250 products each to the fundraiser.
“At Once Upon a Farm, we believe that when kids have access to nutritious food they’re better prepared for a lifetime of health and happiness. We support the Healthiest Babies Project with our product donation – and believe in their efforts in helping vulnerable moms and babies in BC.”
– Once Upon a Farm
Healthiest Babies Possible (“HBP”) provides nutrition counselling, health education, food access and social support to pregnant women facing challenging life circumstances in Vancouver and Richmond. The HBP staff includes dietitians, public health nurses and support workers fluent in a variety of different languages.
To date, the fundraiser has raised over $3,500 with just one day left! Customers can simply add items to their SPUD cart to contribute to the cause.
