After a rather long hiatus, I am taking up my countdown of amazing things in Gibsons at #5 – and just in time to tell you about the Salmon Festival. It happens on Saturday September 11th. Here is a picture of my textile entry – just finished today. It’s called Salmon Dreams and is fashioned from bits and pieces of fabric found in my quilting ‘stash.’
My anthropomorphized salmon dreams about the same things we do: desires, fears, reproductive activities and mortality – the last two being rather closely associated for the salmon.
Here is a description of the festival that I “lifted” from the BC Travel Guide Events page:
“The Gibsons Landing Salmon Festival takes place in Historic Molly’s Lane. This is a fun event for all ages where artists of all abilities purchase a 4 foot salmon plank, take it home and create a piece of art. The salmon art is then returned to the place of purchase and then all of the salmon are displayed at an artist’s reception on Wednesday September 8th at Gift of the Eagle Gallery, Gibsons Public Art Gallery, The Landing Gallery and Artworks Tours & Framing and the bidding on these pieces of art officially opens on that evening. Then on Saturday September 11th the salmon are hung on display down Molly’s Lane and up around the Persephone and auctioned off in a silent auction format throughout the day. The festival runs from 9am to 6:30pm Saturday September 11th and there is live entertainment all day as well as buskers, children’s theater, salmon burger bbq, beer tent, face painting, children’s t-shirt painting area and much much more!”
The Salmon Festival is only one of several events held in Gibsons throughout the year. The Sea Cavalcade in July is a personal favourite (see # 7 on the countdown) and the Fabric Arts Festival in August is also well worth a visit.