22nd Annual FernFest

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Friday, June 16th, 2017

The 22nd annual FernFest is right around the corner – Come celebrate on June 16th and 17th with local bands, artisans, performers, community groups, businesses, artists, friends and family! This free event invites people of all ages to explore the sights and sounds of Fernwood and beyond. Enjoy our new Market Stage located between the Field of Dreams and the Artisan Market!

What: FernFest: a free neighbourhood celebration with live music, BBQ, market, Kid’s Zone and much more!
When: June 16th, 5-10pm & June 17th, 9am-10pm
Where: Fernwood Square (Fernwood Road & Gladstone Avenue)

All weekend long, live music will stream from under the gazebo in Fernwood Square. Over 15 local acts will grace the stage of FernFest including crowd favourites Bučan Bučan, Electric Sex Panther, Bousada, Fernwood Coalition, Compassion Gorilla, Stel, Tan and Hide, The Choir, Funk Cannon, and more! Fernwood NRG BBQ will be grilling up delicious eats and the refreshment trailer will be serving up ice cold, fresh from the tap Phillips Beer or Merridale Cider – so kick back and enjoy a few sunshine pops while taking in all the music and activities from anywhere in Fernwood Square.

Saturday is jam-packed from sun up to sun down! Rise and shine to our free Community Pancake Breakfast cooked up by the Fernwood Inn at 9am followed by the Kidical Mass Bike Parade at 11am (decoration station and bike mechanic included)! Peruse over 50+ local creators at the Artisan Market, including goods such as soap made from beer, upcycled clothing, art, hoops, treats, all running from 10:30 am - 5 pm. Enjoy the NEW market stage where artists will be serenading folks from 11:30am – 4:30 pm. Frequent the Seniors’ High Tea (1-2:30pm), or jaunt amongst the Spring Ridge Common & Heritage Walking tours (11am – 1 pm). Attend a workshop and peruse the community groups in the Field of Dreams, zen out with community acupuncture group Heart and Hands Collective, or be a winner of the array of sweet gifts and goodies of the Fern Fest Silent Auction (11am – 6 pm).

The Field of Dreams will host kids activities galore and all things fun –face-painting, bubbles, balloons, giant games, circus performers, interactive community art project, and of course, the giant cardboard castle! Enjoy free workshops such as Story-Telling, Kids Yoga, Hoop-making and hoop workshop, and performances at the Kidz Zone Mini-Stage from 11am-5pm.

FernFest wouldn’t be possible without all the generous volunteers, amazing local sponsors, silent auction donors, musicians, neighbours, and local businesses that make this neighbourhood great. We invite you to join FernFest and build community, celebrate each other, enjoy the festivities and dance! Happy FernFest!

HISTORY
FernFest began in 1996 and has recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary in June 2015.
Fernwood NRG has been organizing this festival for two decades with the help of local businesses and many volunteers. The soul of FernFest has remained while it has grown to draw residents from all over Greater Victoria. Local artisans, kid’s activities, art, neighbouring organizations, local musicians and performers, and many volunteers all come together to create an inspiring weekend of shared celebration. We are so grateful to spend summer solstice in our public square with you.

About Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group: Since 1979, our non-profit organization has provided child care and family programs, as well as offered recreational activities through the Fernwood Community Centre. In August 2005, we purchased the Cornerstone Building, and fourteen months later, we opened the Cornerstone Apartments, which provides affordable housing to four families. Soon after, we opened the Cornerstone Cafe, Fernwood’s living room. In 2008, we built a beautiful house on Yukon Street, the Park Place Apartments, creating affordable housing for six more families.
We could not have achieved what we have without our funders, supporters, and friends. Please consider making a donation, and you can help us to continue to create the neighbourhood we all wish we had grown up in.