An event blending art and nature will be blooming on the North Shore one last time.
The Arts in the Garden event lets people explore 10 beautiful gardens across the North Shore, each one featuring artists, musicians, performers and workshops alongside the natural beauty.
North Van Arts executive director Anna Lynch said available gardens have been shrinking over the last few years, leading organizers to make the tough decision of running the final show.
“We considered it for a long time before making that decision,” Lynch said. “Rather than continue and reduce the amount of gardens or change the kind of look and feel of the event, we felt it was better to do one last hurrah in the standard that we’d like to run it.”
The annual nature festival has been kicking around the North Shore for 26 years.
Seven gardens will be in North Vancouver and three in West Vancouver this year, with each touching on different themes from unity and nurture to calm and vibrant. Three of those gardens are in new spaces, Lynch said, such as the West Vancouver Seniors Activity Centre, Summerhill Parc and the North Vancouver District Public Library Lynn Valley branch.
On top of the stunning gardens for people to walk through, this year’s last hurrah will feature 28 visual artists and 40 musicians and performers.
Crowd favourites such as Surrey-based singer-songwriter Argel MDR, Vancouver singer-songwriter Francis Baptise and North Shore local artists Norine Braun and Alice Fraser will perform, with new additions to the lineup incorporating pop, indie-folk and jazz.
There will also be hands-on workshops on subjects like eco-printing, felting and, of course, gardening, plus a 50/50 jackpot draw.
“We felt if this was going to be the last one, we really wanted to capture the magic of the last 20 plus years, all in the last endeavor,” Lynch said. “Being outside in the sun and then being able to experience something really unique and local to the North Shore, that makes it special.”
Organizers wanted to bring the best bits to the last show to make it a celebration rather than a mourning the loss of the event, she said, with the importance of bringing back performers with a North Shore connection.
While this is the last year for Arts in the Garden, this isn’t farewell, as North Van Arts has plans to launch a new arts festival next year to continue showcasing local artists and musicians.
“This isn’t goodbye, it’s just the beginning of something new. We are still committed to supporting local artists, musicians and performers for years to come,” Lynch said.
26th annual Arts in the Garden
Where: Various locations across the North Shore. Map here.
When: June 14 and 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: Garden weekend pass - $20 (can be purchased online), one day entry $5 (cash and in-person purchase only)
Abby Luciano is the Indigenous and civic affairs reporter for the North Shore News. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
https://bsky.app/profile/abbyluciano.bsky.social
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