Self-guided walking tours of the back alley murals in downtown Kamloops are one of the ways to take part in Culture Days this weekend.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS - It’s a weekend to celebrate the vibrant arts and culture scene in our city and with nearly three dozen Culture Days events to highlight the many cultural offerings available in Kamloops there is something for almost everyone.

On Friday, Sept. 25, you can stop by the downtown Kamloops Library over lunch for adult story time or after school for ‘Anything Can Happen Friday.’ The North Kamloops Library will host a family story time from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. as well.

The Thompson Rivers University campus radio station, CFBX, is hosting an open house and tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and a harvest tour of the Kamloops Wine Trail will take place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., though you do have to call ahead to reserve a spot.

In the evening you can take part in Piano Prana, yoga to live piano, (pre-registration is required) or learn the art of Japanese taiko drumming. A Plein Air exhibit is on display at the Chazou Gallery and Barnacle Records is hosting the first of a series of free bi-weekly art and music events on Friday as well.

Fushia Petunias by Jayne Holsinger is part of the Plein Air exhibit at the Chazou Gallery.

Image Credit: Culture Days

On Saturday, Sept. 26, start the day at the farmer’s market, where there is free entertainment and artisans, as well as fresh produce and food. Brew Loops, a Kamloops beer festival will take place nearby at St. Andrew’s on the Square during the market as well.

Then head to the Kamloops Library where a family games day, with old school board games and puzzles, will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and then Theatre in the Stacks, the third in a series of staged readings from a locally-themed play, will run from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The North Kamloops Library will host life-sized games, including KerPlunk, giant Jenga and giant Pac-Man, for teens, aged 12 to 18, from 1 to 3 p.m.

The Kamloops Museum and Archives will be offering free admission from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and a watercolour postcards workshop from 10 a.m. to noon. The postcards painted in the workshop will be sent to students in our sister city, Uji, Japan.

Also Saturday morning, the Ukulele Orchestra of Kamloops will offer a sing-along and play-along session from 10 a.m. to noon. The Kamloops Arts Gallery is hosting an artist statement and biography workshop in the main gallery from noon to 1 p.m. (limit of 12 participants) and then the Kamloops Symphony is hosting an open dress rehearsal from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Sagebrush Theatre.

From noon to 3 p.m. the Kamloops Interior Summer School of Music will host a drum line open rehearsal for students over 12 and from 1 to 3 p.m. the Kamloops Ukrainian Orthodox Church will be the site of a free guided tour where people can get a close up look at the hand painted icons inside the church. From 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday you can also take in an art exhibit featuring locally made violins and works of art.

Saturday is also the day of the performing arts centre debate from 2 to 4 p.m. at the university. 

Art sculptures are scattered along the Rivers Trail in Kamloops.

(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)

Sunday, Sept. 27, the final day of Culture Days, will include events at Riverside Park as part of World Rivers Day. A shoreline cleanup, arts, crafts, live music and local entertainment, as well as a bookmaking workshop, will all take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Western Canada Theatre is hosting a public reading of The Language Reclamation Project: Echoes of the Homesick Heart at the Pavilion Theatre. The play reflects on the revitalization of the Secwepemc language and how different generations are responding to it.

Find your inner art at St. Andrews on the Square, where you can try out singing, acting, dancing and instruments, from 2 to 4 p.m. That evening the square will play host to a concert and discussion with the Chamber Musicians of Kamloops from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Sunday evening an open band rehearsal for the Kamloops Community Band will take place from 7 to 9 p.m.

The weekend will also see a selection of artwork created during Kamloops Art Gallery summer art camps on display as well an exhibit by Lea Bucknell, Inherit, Revise, Repeat, and several self-guided walking tours, including a downtown cultural heritage walk, a back alley art crawl, Rivers Trail sculpture tour  and a tour of the Secwepemc Heritage Park.

The Federation of Canadian Artist will also host the 11th annual chapter show this weekend, with more than 80 pieces on display. Artists will also be painting on site daily.

To view the full details of each event visit the Culture Days website.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2015