This weekend across Canada Canadians are celebrate Culture Days. Here in Vancouver you can attend the free Word on the Street Festival .
Word on the Street
If you haven’t got hold of a Word on the Street brochure (and if you’ve never been), you might not feel particularly inspired to go downtown for this festival. Of course if you already live downtown you’re good to go. You can visit their website for more information, or simply hop on the bus/skytrain and dive in. As soon as you arrive on-site do search out their 62 (!) page brochure and take a few minutes to orientate yourself. It’s an embarrassment of riches, as the saying goes, in terms of the broad variety of events. Here are just a few of the many events that will appeal to families and children.
Carnegie Centre: 401 Main Street
Until October 1st you can visit the third floor gallery to see the Hope in Shadows: Portraits of Our Community. These images are from the 10th annual photography contest in the Downtown Eastside. More than 200 participants contributed thousands of photos documenting life in the community.
Festival Central Mainstage on the steps outside of Library Square
Until 5:00 PM you can see a Vancouver Squeezebox Circle (accordion slam event), ukulele ensemble, take part in a Vancouver Hug Day event, hear a youth poetry slam, watch the Vancouver Youth Theatre and listen the the Upbeats (a group of drummers). Here at BCFamily we have an uncle who plays classical accordion and has played in an accordion orchestra. The effect of a group of accordionists playing together is electrifying!
Film Screenings at CBC Studio 700, Hamilton Street
Two films are being screened until 5:00 PM: Passage of Dreams: The Chung Collection and Bruno and the Beach: The Beachcombers at 40.
Family Stage on Hamilton Street
At this stage you can find activities, music and story telling for families.
Image: Laura.Bucci.com
Family Literacy Tent on Hamilton Street
At this tent you can make collage buttons with Laura Bucci and carve an animal out of soapstone.
Kids Tent on Hamilton Street
Until 5:00 PM a steady rotation of 18 authors will read from their “published in BC” books.
Magazine Life Tent on Homer Street
At this tent there will be an interesting array of topics discovered covering everything from eating healthy on a budget to pinhole photography.
Word Talks inside the Library
At 2:00 PM you can learn more about writing a memoir and at 3:00 PM you can hear about oral story telling
The Word Under the Street, inside the Library in the Alice MacKay Room
Until 4:00 PM you can learn about the world of comics, cartoons and how to create comics and video game characters. The cartooning workshop from 1:00 – 2:00 PM will appeal to youth.
Related
Website with information about the schedule