Some of the performers will be flying high during the second annual Kamloops International Buskers Festival.
Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Kamloops International Buskers Festival
July 22, 2019 - 5:30 PM
KAMLOOPS - The second annual Kamloops International Buskers Festival is set to kick off this week.
The International Buskers Festival brings in renowned talent from across the globe for four nights from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28. Visitors can watch acrobats, magicians, contortionists and artists at Riverside Park.
Ali Webster is the event coordinator for the festival, a new position for this year. She’s been involved with downtown Kamloops and community events for a number of years and sat in on the working committee meetings for the festival last year.
“It’s exciting to be a part of the growth of this annual festival,” she says. “I was very familiar with how things had gone and how the planning process had gone in the first year, so I was confident I had the skills to bring to the table to help grow and coordinate this annual event.”
Performers from all around the world will meet in Riverside Park to showcase their unique talents. Webster says the event has allowed the city to highlight the arts and culture scene and feed the tourism industry.
“We have a growing arts and culture scene here, and this event seems like a perfect fit for Kamloops,” Webster says. “Our tourism industry is growing, and this is another reason for folks to come to Kamloops.”
Some of the performers of the event include Victor Rubilar, a world-renowned performer who specializes in soccer ball tricks. He holds the Guinness World Record for the number of times a soccer ball is rolled around the face, with 40 rotations in one minute. Also, there is magician Charlie Caper, the winner of Sweden’s Got Talent. In addition, Bendy Em will fit herself inside a 16-inch box.
On Saturday, there will be a fire show after dark put on by Zap Circus.
“We had an absolutely amazing first year. We were blown away by the talent of the performers, so that's something we look forward to again this year. We have such an amazing group of talented individuals coming,” Webster says. “It's amazing to see these kinds of shows happening here in Kamloops at Riverside Park and we’re only going to continue to grow and attract more incredible performers.”
In addition to the international buskers, the event puts the spotlight on local musicians and performers.
“We’ve got tonnes of local performers in the music stage and at the busk stops,” Webster says. “It’s somewhere where our local entertainers can showcase their talents and really find a sense of community.”
This year will see the first live art installations, taking place each night by a group of artists led by Landon Muzio. Muzio will lead urban art performances on the wall of the washrooms by the splash pad in Riverside Park.
“He’s been involved in various urban art projects in the community, so he wants to showcase this style of art and this method of art in a very positive way,” Webster says. “There will be an education tent where folks can stop by and learn about the process, learn about urban art, and even try it out themselves.”
There will be eight food and beverage vendors at Riverside Park during the shows, with kettle corn, lemonade, doughnuts and food trucks to feed cravings.
You can also catch some of the action while picking up your weekly produce haul at the farmers' market.
From 10 to 10:45 a.m. you can catch some members of the Enthrall Performers Collective doing acrobatics and aerial performances on the lawn by the school. After them, violinist Marcus Loveless will play from 11 a.m. until 11:45 a.m.
For a full list of performers, schedule and map, click here.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2019