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Looking to expand your arts horizons in the Rocky Mountains this summer? Whatever tickles your artistic fancy, you're sure to enjoy this selection of events with an arts theme.
Banff The Banff Summer Arts Festival - All Summer
The internationally acclaimed Banff Summer Arts Festival serves up an abundant banquet of performing and visual arts. Music, dance, opera, film, and theatre performances are spotlighted against exhilarating mountain surroundings. Take in music concerts; stroll through galleries and art collections with informative curators; attend film screenings, readings, dance recitals and live theatre performances. A combination of meet-the-artist lectures, pre-show chats, hands-on workshops, and backstage 'sneak peeks' will develop your appreciation for artistic ingenuity and the creative process.
A selection of events during the 2005 Festival:
Opera - Filumena, the Canadian operatic sensation which tells the inspiring and tragic true story of Florence Lossandro.
Music - Music for a Midsummer's Evening, a magnificent mid-summer concert celebration.
Dance - Festival Dance, including two world premieres by recipients of the Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award.
New Media - A Decade of Co-Productions, three screenings of the best in video art and new media co-productions.
Visual Arts - CAMPsites, investigating community, environment, recreation, and the idea of home.
Film - Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour, taking you through the wildest waters to the highest peaks, and to the most captivating places on earth.
Banff Culture Walk - August 6
Here's a wonderful opportunity to visit Banff's vibrant art galleries, museums, and cultural organizations, to meet artists, and enjoy the art that makes Banff a great cultural destination. Banff's art and cultural institutions have joined together to make August 6th and 7th a weekend for art, fun and discovery. Throughout the weekend, Banff Culture Walk venues will present artist demonstrations, opening receptions, artist talks, theatre, tours, readings, dancing, singing, and refreshments. The walk celebrates Banff's historical connection to the arts - through the Aboriginal traditions that have been present here for centuries, the historical visits of artists commissioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway from the late 1800s, and the establishment of The Banff Centre, more than 70 years ago.
Jasper Jasper Heritage Folk Festival - July 29-30
The 11th Jasper Heritage Folk Festival promises, once again, to be a mountain magnet for performers and music-lovers. Held every second year in the summer, the festival is a two-day celebration of folk music from the four corners of the globe, with this year's Saturday evening concert headlined by the high-energy Blackie And The Rodeo Kings. Centennial Park will be transformed into a village of music and celebration, from headline acts on the main stages to workshops and jam sessions on the side stages. A craft fair and food fair add to the festivities, making it a Rocky Mountain must-see for anyone visiting Jasper this summer.
Canmore Canmore Folk Music Festival - July 30 to August 1
The Canmore Folk Music Festival is Alberta's longest-running folk festival and, according to many, one of the best. Now in its 28th season, this year's festival will once again highlight the finest national and international folk, blues, country and world music performers. Look forward to artists like Eric and Leon Bibb, Christine Lavin, James Keelaghan, Oscar Lopez and Oysterband among the many performers. It's also a family-friendly event, with music that appeals to a wide range of ages, and an alcohol-free environment that includes a petting zoo, face painting, hands-on percussion sessions and children's stage.
Mozart on the Mountain - August 28
For an inspirational musical experience, it's hard to top Mozart on the Mountain. As the season-opening performance for the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, the event features a full orchestra playing under a bandshell with the sublime Three Sisters mountain range acting as the picturesque backdrop. Concert-goers are treated to classical music par excellence, while taking in the exhilarating fresh mountain air. In 2004, selections included excerpts from the Magic Flute and the Blue Danube Waltz.
Fort Macleod Vaudeville - July 22 to August 19
In the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, at the eastern edge of Waterton National Park, sits Fort Macleod. Its local playhouse, the storied Empress Theatre, is Alberta's oldest at 92 years of age. This summer, the theatre features two plays (Alberta Rose and Blast From the Past running) from July 1 to August 27th...plus the hugely popular Vaudeville show. Featured on two nights only-July 22 and August 19-Vaudeville is a smorgasbord of the wild, the wacky and the unpredictable. Come for music (from country to rock to classical), comedic skits and improvisation, cowboy poetry and occasionally, the truly bizarre.
Fort McMurray InterPLAY - August 5 to 7
Okay, so Fort McMurray isn't high up in the mountains of Alberta, but as the province's northernmost large city (approx. 50,000 people) it is definitely "up there." The interPLAY Festival is a celebration of the visual and performing arts in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, and it attracts more than 20,000 visitors each year. A combination of elements from fringe, folk, street performer and visual arts festivals, InterPLAY is a full weekend of arts entertainment in the city of the famous Alberta oilsands. Look forward to plays, street performers, music, food, visual art, stand-up comedy, improv and much more. Definitely worth the drive!
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