Gabriola Island is already home to plenty of established and talented artists and soon it will be home to a two-day music festival.
The inaugural Gabriola Music Festival will kick off next month at the Twin Beaches Mall, 377 Berry Point Rd.
Alina Cerminara, festival organizer, said the island has long wanted its own music festival.
“We have always wanted to organize a music festival and the community has always wanted one,” she said. “This year we’ve had the human resources to be able to do it.”
The music festival will run Sept. 2-3 and includes performances by Bob Bossin, Corbin Keep, Twin Bandit, Caleb Hart, The Stacks, 2DeepSoul, Gyst, Dia-Nos, Calixxa and Patrick Olmsted.
“They are really top-notch performers,” Cerminara said.
Although GMF is advertised as a music festival, Cerminara said it celebrates all kinds of art. She said the festival includes a youth singer showcase, health presentations, live art shows and a range of family activities.
“If you want a taste of the local scene then this is the place to come to. All the vendors are local. Most of them are local to Gabriola but some are local to Vancouver Island,” she said. “We also have talks on health, we’ve got a couple documentaries, we’ve got screenings, we’ve got food demos, we’ve got readings and massages. It’s a cool little hippie-ish music festival.”
Cerminara said GMF embodies the spirit of Gabriola Island.
“This festival is all about community and inclusivity and love and compassion and bringing everybody together through that,” she said.
Cerminara is looking forward to the event and said it isn’t going to be a one-time festival.
“We are hoping for it to be an annual event,” she said.
Tickets range are $50 for a day pass and $80 for a weekend pass. For tickets and more information on the Gabriola Music Festival, please visit www.gabriolamusicfest.com.