Unwind, soak in the inspirational talent and revel in the beauty of an impressive green space!
After over a year in the making, this July will mark the first-ever ArtisTREE Festival—celebrating creativity and community on the stunning grounds of Government House.
It will take place on Saturday, July 27th and Sunday, July 28th, with a 10 a.m. start on both days.
Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the rose gardens, pond gardens and natural woodland, all the while enjoying an impressive lineup of artists and artisans.
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, organizers Nichola Walkden, Cory Judge with Victoria’s Market Collective and Mike Roma were thrilled to dish out highlights, inspiration behind the event and their hopes for the festival’s continuation.
Walkden began by saying that what they’re presenting is the trifecta of festival entertainment: the artisan market at its core, joined with the music and other performances such as live art demonstrations, design shows, dancers, kids crafts and Indigenous demonstrations.
“Creativity and artistry [and] inspiration is at the forefront,” Walkden said.
“Come in and be sparked, enjoy your time, recognize art in all of its forms. Everybody is going to learn something…and find something that appeals to them.”
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Judge, the mastermind of artisan and vendor organization, said that seeing everyone together in one space like this will be worth all of the planning and manicuring of details, and she can’t wait.
“There will be 128 artisans and they are the backbone of the event,” Judge said.
“The whole idea is to share inspiration with the community and pull everyone together on a green space.”
With such an abundance of unique goodies, items and art to browse through, you’re sure to find something you love—either for yourself or as a gift for others!
Walkden added that because the Government House has been known to inspire art itself, it’s the perfect backdrop for this creativity-focused festival.
Walkden laughed and continued by saying that, yes, all festivals can be fun, but doing it next to the roses is better!
“You have to come see Government House. It’s what we call a ‘hidden secret.’ It’s 37 acres and it is beautiful.”
Roma shared that guests can look forward to local original music that ranges from Bluegrass to Americana, as well as DJ semi-house music.
He underlined the importance of giving passionate musicians the space to come together and celebrate why they chose this path in the first place. It gives them the chance to experiment with different genres outside of current projects, engage with audience members in a safe space and meet other artists.
They’re also including the concept of the ‘superband,’ which essentially means that multi-generational musicians from a multitude of different bands will have the chance to collaborate together and work together—some may even be artists you recognize!
“It’s a conversation that happens through music…they’re people that haven’t rehearsed together, they’ll get to communicate via the stage,” Roma said.
“It’s a great opportunity for them to support each other.”
And although the ‘superband’ idea is not a new concept, Roma said it’s not always something that’s actively promoted or encouraged, but it will be at ArtisTREE.
Saturday’s artists include Jemma and the Good Thing, Invisible Hands, DJ Primitive, DJ Takahashi and more. Sunday’s lineup will feature DJ Mike “Lo-fi” Devlin, Pony gold and more.
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They hope everyone will stay as long as possible, and encourage everyone to bring blankets, a picnic and anything else that’ll keep you comfortable. Plus, there will be plenty of food options available if you aren’t able to bring your own.
Parking is said to be limited, so there’s a shuttle that departs from the Bay Centre.
As mentioned, this event is free to attend, but they’ll be collecting donations at the gate for the Friends of Government House Society, whose work goes into maintaining the property and keeping the space alive.
First-Ever ArtisTREE Festival
- Where: Government House, 1401 Rockland Avenue
- When:
- Saturday, July 27th from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Sunday, July 28th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
