6 Reasons To Attend The First Annual FernieFest This Weekend

What's colourful, big, and descends on Fernie for the first time ever this upcoming Canada Day weekend?

It's the First Annual Fernie Fest! Held in the new Riverside Park, the festival aims to celebrate music, the arts, culture and Fernie, over three full days of summer partying.

Like all good ideas, the festival was born when someone brought up the question "Why doesn't Fernie have a summer music festival?"

Soon thereafter, a group of interested individuals got together to cultivate the idea; resulting in the Fernie Fest starting this Friday.

Visitors can book Fernie accommodation in town or the ski resort, or buy a camping pass for any number of nights. Tickets are available online for $35 and up, and kids under 12 are free.

Thinking of attending? Here are a 6 reasons why you won't want to miss the party:

1. The best Kids Zone ever

FernieFest will be featuring plenty for the children, including scavenger hunts, drum building, puppet shows, mask making, face painting, and the comedic stylings of PT the Clown.

2. You can support the local community

Events like these are all about celebrating the local community: the culture, the flavours, and the artistry. In this age of globalized society and homogenization, it's nice to be able to experience the unique qualities everyone has to offer.

3. Group yoga sessions along the river

Relax after a morning of hiking the Fernie forests with some group yoga along the stunning Elk River. Afterwards, don't miss the Dunk Tank, Sumo Wrestling, and a variety of other bizarre and entertaining activities.

4. Hear artists perform Celtic, Funk, Folk, and Electronica

FernieFest will be featuring 16 great artists from throughout BC, Canada and the Kootenays.

A few artists include Third Eye Tribe, who "fuels his audience with his lyrical drive-bys of socially conscious rhymes" and Emaline Delapaix, who sings about "everything from dodgy jobs to hard hitting world issues, secret love affairs between musicians, and lust on the dance floor under a spinning mirrorball."

Check out the full lineup here.

5. Friday Night Pub Crawl

After the Block Party in downtown Fernie during the day (with lantern making, a street fashion show and more) participating Fernie pubs & bars come alive, showcasing a variety of live entertainment and specials until the wee hours of the morning.

6. Pancake Breakfast

The only thing better than fresh pancakes...are fresh pancakes that raise money for a good cause. (All proceeds towards the Canada Day Breakfast finance 12 Fernie Secondary Students to the Student Leadership Conference in Ottawa).

So there you have it. Plenty of reasons to attend the first annual FernieFest. For more info, visit the official website.