This year’s Roberts Creek Arts Festival (RCAF) on May 16 and 17 uses a slightly different format than previous years. It’s still the same experience of music, art, film and food, said organizers Lee and Bon Roberts, but this year it’s happening in one central location with four stages, two inside and two outside, around the venerable Roberts Creek Community Hall.
The Hall’s big city alternative music will jam four on-and-off Coast acts back-to-back each night, and the Elphi Lodge next door will submerge audience into the live experience of four very different visual artists, painting to three very different live music performances. Headlining the show on Saturday night is Vancouver’s The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer. This is not as dire as it sounds. It’s blues, baby. The duo’s influences range from the song-writing of Willie Dixon to the boundary-pushing of Danger Mouse. They do soul and funk with rousing, ragged vocals and blues harmonica.
Saturday evening gigs also include Matt Hoyles, Sarah Noni and Good for Grapes. Some highlights on Sunday evening are live performances from the likes of local rocker Matt Watson and his band, Mike Edel, Royal Tusk and headliner CR Avery, a raw and dynamic performer. His genius lies in many genres: blues, hip-hop, spoken word and rock.
More musical performances are at the Elphi Lodge Stage from Sostenuto, the trio of Viviane Houle, Giorgio Magnanensi and Stefan Smulovitz, Tim Hearsey, Keely and Me, The Organics and Anagram.
On both festival nights, musicians and contemporary visual artists merge with a live music performance and live painting. You can also buy a raffle ticket for a chance to walk away with an original art piece produced by the artist that night. Visual artist participants include Ben Tour, Marleen Vermeulen, Jay Senetchko, Caroline Weaver, Mardi Ahmed, Dean Schutz, Ian MacLeod and Lee Roberts.
There’s something new for children, too. The Pink Elephant Stage will host daytime experiences for children of all ages and will celebrate the art of puppetry, music, songs and clowns.
This festival has always put emphasis on treading lightly on the earth. Because parking is not possible on the site, plan on taking the free bus that goes from the RCAF official park-ride at Roberts Creek Elementary School to the Hall all day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or travel by bike and enter a free raffle to win a $200 gift certificate from Spin Cycles.
At the RCAF ride-in-theatre that runs from 8:30 to 10 p.m., you can arrive by bike and bring your own popcorn. RCAF has partnered with Transportation Choices - Sunshine Coast (TraC) to present an eclectic mix of bike-inspired cinema.
“From the outraged to the outrageous,” said organizer Lee Roberts, “the downhill to the downright odd, there will be something for everyone’s taste.”
The Outsider Stage (in the Elphinstone Lodge parking lot) will feature all-day live music, fresh local food and beer gardens until 8 p.m., with artist exhibitions and demonstrations including live woodworking, stone carving and mural plexiglass painting.
Tickets are available at the site for cash only. Daytime events are $5, evening events are $25. Advance tickets for the whole weekend are $45 and can be found at MELOmania and Ambrosia Organic Living in Roberts Creek. Kids under six are free. See the website www.robertscreekartsfestival.com for more.
