While it’s true that the greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, it’s also true that one can learn a lot about a community’s character by how they celebrate.
There are almost too many celebrations coming up this summer to list, but it’s worth mentioning a few to illustrate our point.
In a few days, over at SEAPARC, they’ll be inviting the community to a free outdoor event to usher in the summer and that event is followed only a week later with an amazing array of talent as the Sooke Folk Music Society presents Summer Music in the Park.
In July, we’ll see an amazing array of classic, antique and just plain cool cars gather at the Sooke River Campground for a car show that is attracting the attention of folks from across the province and beyond.
The artistic soul of the community will be on full display during Sooke’s summer months when the Sooke Fine Arts Show, the Island’s longest-running juried art show, showcases the talented artists of the region.
In August, the Sooke Music Festival will have music lovers flocking to John Phillips Memorial Park and, two weeks later, the Sooke News Mirror will be teaming with the District of Sooke to present a 20th Anniversary Celebration, the Old Fashioned Family Picnic, at that same location.
And, of course, the Sooke Fall Fair will round out the summer in September.
All of these events are a reflection of the spirit of the community and what’s notable is the level of cooperation shown between the variety of groups as they prepare for their own celebratory offerings.
These are not competing events, as we found when planning our own event. The groups involved in all of these celebrations, festivals and shows collaborate and cooperate in a way that speaks volumes about the character of the community. They share equipment, volunteers, ideas and talent so that everyone’s event can be the best that it possibly can be.
Make no mistake, throughout the year there will be disagreements and issues that will spark lively debate in the community. People will be angered or frustrated by some issue or another. That’s natural.
But, in summer, when it’s time to celebrate and have fun, those issues tend to fade away and that’s when Sooke’s true nature can be seen.
editor@sookenewsmirror.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter