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Inaugural Squamish Builders Fest set for Sept. 17 and 18

Free and family-friendly, the two-day event will have artists, demonstrations, speakers, wood industry representatives, food and a beer garden.
Van Urban Timber - Group Photo
From Left to Right (Top to Bottom): Eric Savics, Lenny Rubenovitch, Logan Neufeld, Owen Crane, Mikey LeBlanc, Ryan Milbourne, Max Whale, Pat Paul, Gabriel Larivière, Dave Lemay, Vincent Desforges, Danny Hagge, & Sam Eastman, all of Van Urban Timber.

It is kind of like a music festival, but with builders. 

At the two-day September festival, instead of instruments, there will be tools and wood. 

The music will be the sound of hammers and saws. 

The stars of the show are local builders. 

Squamish's inaugural Builders Fest will be held on Sept. 17 and 18. 

The event is free for the public. 

It is billed as a collaborative event featuring local builders, using local wood, building live on location at Van Urban Timber, with final projects to be donated to the community.

Like a traditional festival, there will also be food and a beer garden.

Van Urban Timber's Lenny Rubenovitch said the idea for the festival came out of a desire to collaborate with others in the industry. 

"It's an opportunity to bring together so many businesses and organizations that can all benefit. We're going to have a long list of invitees from various sectors," he said. 

"All weekend long, the Vendor Village will be open. We will feature a handful of different wood organizations. Art Harry is a carver who's going to be there. We have been speaking with the Men's Shed, who are going to be running demonstrations throughout the weekend — a sharpening clinic and a dovetail demonstration, and they will be letting people try a hand plane and a spokeshave tool."

Legacy Timberworks and Blue Water Concepts folks are donating their skills and time to build needed outdoor structures for Under One Roof and Foundry Sea to Sky.

Visitors to the festival can walk through a pop-up museum presented by the Sea To Sky Forestry Society Centre, talk to and learn from local builders, and listen to keynote speakers.

Builders Fest takes place at Van Urban Timber's Squamish Mill location, 1126 Resolution Way.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days.

More detailed information will be released as the event gets closer. 

For more information, go to www.vanurbantimber.com/buildersfest.

To get involved, email buildersfest@vanurbantimber.com.

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