Chemainus is set to celebrate Canada Day with live music and community spirit at a free outdoor concert featuring local favourite, the Copper Canyon Band.
The show begins at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 1 at the Waterwheel Park bandshell.
The concert marks the official start of Music in the Park, the long-running summer series of concerts presented by the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society (CVCAS) in one of the Island’s most scenic gathering spots. Now in its 24th year, the series brings a wide range of musical acts to the outdoor bandshell for shows all summer long.
“It’s community building,” said Bev Knight, chair of the CVCAS board of directors. “It draws the community to the area and they get to share in the music and share each other.”
CVCAS director and Copper Canyon Band member Ian Smith called the summer concert series “special music in a special place.”
“The shape of it is a real gathering place," Smith said. "You go to some venues and you’ve got a tent in a field. Waterwheel Park is such a warm, secluded venue to play at. Not only do the performers enjoy it, but the audience loves it.”
The full Music in the Park lineup promises a wide range of musical genres including the Chemainus Valley Blues Fest (July 5 and 6), the Chemainus Bluegrass Festival (July 19), the Rockabilly and Country Festival (Aug. 23) and the new Folk Music Festival (Aug. 30).
But it all kicks off on July 1 with the Canada Day event.
Smith hinted at a surprise in Copper Canyon’s set list.
“You get lots of audience reaction and participation,” Smith said. “We will be doing one song this year that will get even more.”
Asked what that song might be, Smith was coy.
“I’m not going to tell you. You gotta be there. It’s a little bit out of our genre, but it’s appropriate.”
The concert is free and open to all. Donations are gratefully accepted to help fund the popular concert program that has become a mainstay of Chemainus summers. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket and settle in under the trees to enjoy the live music.
For the full Music in the Park lineup, visit cvcas.ca/music-in-the-park or pick up a printed calendar at the CVCAS table during concerts.
