While swaying in a hammock set up on the perimeter of the grounds, Josie Bauman saw the sun drop at last year’s Dancing Bear Music & Arts Festival.
It was her first time and the 19-year-old wasn’t sure what to expect from the family-fun, student-run festival. But, rocking back and forth, she says “watching the night fall was pretty magical.”
The much-anticipated event kicks off this weekend on April 22 at Quest University.
Bauman is a part of the student advocacy body that helps fund the project.
“It’s the only event where the entire school comes together with the Squamish community,” she says. “That is really special.”
Also a member of the Student Representative Council, Hayley Birss remembers that last year the campus basically shut down. “
The entire atmosphere at school was Dancing Bear,” she says.
Marking the beginning of spring for Squamish and the end of the academic year, the student body paired up with Blueprint Live for a more polished experience.
Selling out the last two years prompted a venue change down the hill in the parking lot, says James Blumhagen, who is the organizer. It allows for more people and keeps facilities on the hill open for students not participating, he says.
Blumhagen is intent on “creating a connection of communities and fostering relationships to make positive changes,” while maintaining the authenticity and intimacy of the festival this year.
“It isn’t just our university – it’s Squamish’s,” he says.
The free community day market is new and features 30 local vendors with an interactive art show, food trucks and free activities for kids, like a bouncy castle and face-painting. And there’s an all day beer garden.
Music starts up at 4:30 p.m. until close, with a cover charge and Yukon Blonde, Daniel Wesley, Peach Pit, Gucki and The Boom Booms headlining.
Indie soul Vancouver-based band, The Boom Booms, host a community-festival in the summer called East Van Summer Jam. They toured Panama in an RV, Europe in a Volkswagen and navigated the United States twice in a yellow school bus.
Aaron Ross, the lead vocalist for the band, says they love playing live.
In fact, for the upcoming album set to release this summer, he is writing new songs with that purpose.
“I wanted to challenge myself to dig deeper and write songs that musically lent themselves to a live show,” he says, since it leaves room to play dynamically night after night.
“You can approach the songs from a different way.”
No stranger to campuses and grassroots performances, The Boom Booms look forward to getting on stage.
“I just know it’s always a great crowd and a fun event,” Ross says.
Click here for tickets.
