Harrison Festival of the Arts releases 2023 lineup

Soul, funk, blues, Celtic, Cuban, and other musical concerts share program with film, art installations, theatre, and more on the Hot Springs waterfront

SUMMER CAN’T COME soon enough, and not just because of the deplorable weather we’ve been having: The Harrison Festival Society has announced programing for the 2023 Harrison Festival of the Arts, taking place from July 7 to 16.

Situated on the waterfront at Harrison Hot Springs, the 44th annual multidisciplinary fest launches with a screening of Summer of Soul, a 2021 documentary that celebrates the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.

From there, there’s a plethora of ungated beach stage shows, ticketed Memorial Hall evening concerts, Children’s Day (July 12), Literary Café, Evening of Theatre, Ranger Station Gallery visual arts exhibit, and waterfront Artisan Market.

Music in the hall includes Congolese-Canadian powerhouse Kizaba (July 8), Irish-American multi-instrumentalist the Seamus Egan Project (July 9), songstress Ceiligh Cardinal (July 12) and folk legend James Keelaghan (July 13). Then there’s the dance-heavy Mexican-American sounds of Las Cafeteras (July 14); the high-energy, futuristic Italian folk of Kalascima featuring Andrea Ramolo (July 15); and the power funk of Toronto’s Soul Motivators (July 16).

Among the artists to catch on the beach are Métis fiddler Alex Kusturok (July 8), Mongolian singer Namgar (July 12), Haitian-Canadian Wesli and his band (July 15), Newfoundland’s Rum Ragged (July 14 and 15), Juno-winning blues singer Angelique Frances (July 13 and 14), to name some.

The non-musical offerings are aplenty and include a collaboration with Vancouver Poetry House for an evening of spoken word (July 10); Sylvie Roussel-Janssens’s art exhibition, Mend; outdoor art installations by Aly Scwhann; and romp of song and comedy with The Myrtle Sisters (July 11).

Children’s Day features a return of Wil’s Jams, as well as performances by Middle Eastern ensemble Al Qawha and Vancouver Puppet Theatre as well as crafts and other arts activities.

Tickets and full details are now available at www.harrisonfestival.com.

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