Sooke’s Old-Fashioned Country Picnic is fast approaching and folks are definitely getting excited about the event.
The initiative is the work of the District of Sooke and the Sooke News Mirror and is all about celebrating the municipality’s 20th anniversary.
“This is going to be a great opportunity for the entire community to get together, and celebrate all the great things about Sooke,” said Mayor Maja Tait.
“There’s going to be music, children’s activities, food, and a lot of other things to see and do. And of course the evening will be capped off with our feature film, ‘Avengers: End Game.”
The picnic will take place at John Phillips Memorial Park (located right beside Municipal Hall), on Aug. 17 from 1 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and the event has been planned as a fun, family-friendly day of music and laughter.
The main stage at the event will feature a constant parade of talent ranging from the lite-rock stylings of Second Hand Habit to the folk and pop music of Hugh Smith and the Mexican Bus Ride, and Provinces.
“There are so many great entertainers in this area. We’ve put together a very diverse group of artists for the main stage and I’m really excited to have been able to be a part of planning this anniversary event,” said Peter Jonassen, the musical director for the picnic.
Of course, no old-fashioned picnic would be complete without something for the youngsters, and the Aug. 17 picnic will feature the Hannah Day Family Fun Zone.
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A large assortment of bouncy castles and water slides will be center stage in the fun zone, offering children the chance to bounce until they drop and then cool off on the large, inflatable water features.
The picnic will also have face painting, balloon art, games and arts and crafts. Kids (and even a few adults) will have the chance to make their mark at the rock painting station and even decorate their own wooden salmon cutout. Those painted salmon will be mounted on poles and kids will have the chance to be part of the anniversary parade during the event.
A storyteller will also be on-hand regaling children with some old favourites as well as a few new tales to capture their imagination.
The Hannah Day Family Fun Zone will be entirely free of charge, but in memory of Hannah and in recognition of other children in the community who are struggling with serious illness, organizers will be accepting new, unwrapped toys or cash donations for the Victoria General and Vancouver Children’s hospitals.
Finally, no event in Sooke would be complete without some local artists, artisans, and vendors on-site to show off their products and produce.
There’ll also be food vendors, a collection of classic cars and a few more surprises on-hand to ensure that there’s something for everyone at the Old-Fashioned Country Picnic.
And, as if that isn’t enough, right after the picnic, the District of Sooke will be screening Avengers: End Game on a giant screen under the stars.
“People are invited to stay for the whole day, or even to enjoy the picnic and then come back for the movie to make it a full day of fun,” said Tait.
“It’s going to be a great time.”
mailto:tim.collins@sookenewsmirror.com
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