The route to Roots and Blues leads to Wednesday on the Wharf tonight and a downtown Music Crawl tomorrow evening, arriving at its final, fun destination at the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds Friday.
Tonight’s Wednesday on the Wharf features Victoria folk-roots rockers Jon and Roy.
Tomorrow night’s Downtown Salmon Arm Music Crawl begins at 5:30 at An Diamo and moves to Pinz Tattoo, Shuswap Pie Company, Ross Street Plaza, Blue Canoe, Barley Station, Wicked Spoon and Hideaway Pub. Visit www.rootsandblues.ca for times and performers.
Then on to the main show where festivalgoers are encouraged to apply sunscreen liberally, wear a hat and stay well-hydrated. Oh, and take something warm for nighttime.
The fun begins when the gates open at 5 p.m. on Friday, and again at 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. A little preparation and everything will run smoothly.
Tickets will be exchanged for wristbands, which need to remain intact in order to access the grounds again. Festivalgoers are welcome to bring their own blankets or tarps for seating, but they must not exceed eight by 10 feet in size.
Chairs are also welcome, but higher chairs will be relegated to the back of the audience to prevent them from blocking the view of the stage for others. For those who want to get up and cut a rug, there will be sanctioned areas for dancing so that those seated can see the stage.
Smokers will be able to indulge along the perimeter of the festival grounds where there will be small sand pails to dispose of cigarette butts. Remember that conditions are extremely dry with the Shuswap in extreme fire danger.
Anyone who needs assistance for any reason can look for members of the security team, who will be wearing red shirts and patrolling the grounds during the festival.
For anyone in need of medical attention, a first aid station will be located in front of the fairground riding ring and will be staffed by health-care professionals. If children are lost, they will be taken to the first aid building by a security member.
For those who may need a little help getting around, a mobility assistance shuttle will be running throughout the festival. For more information, head to the security stations set up at the main and west gates. There will also be disabled parking located on the west side of the grounds, on Fifth Street SW.
Any missing items can be retrieved at the lost and found booth set up across from the food vendors.
Food vendors specializing in a several international cuisines will be dishing up a variety of tasty treats. Indulge in a taste of the exotic or dig into in some traditional festival fare with deep-fried mini doughnuts and wash it all down with lemonade, coffee or something a bit stronger in the beer garden.
Thai, Greek and Mexican foods are also on the menu on the grounds and, an inaugural Roots and Blues pancake breakfast will take place at the Ross Street Plaza on Saturday morning. (See sidebar)
Unique, handmade Canadian creations will once again be featured in the popular artisan market. More than 30 vendors from across the province will set up shop and sell their one-of-a-kind products. Festival-appropriate tie-dye creations, exotic jewelry, glass works, and custom furniture are just a few things that will be available to shoppers at the festival.
As always, the fun extends to the younger set at the Hub International Barton Family Fun Zone. The family friendly environment will be alive with activities and performances by kid-friendly performers. Kids can climb inside the belly of a magical salmon and journey through enchanted realms during Nylon Zoo’s performance, which will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday and at 12:20 p.m. on Sunday. Kids are encouraged to sing, clap and dance along with Rattle and Strum’s original tunes at noon on Saturday and 1:15 p.m. on Sunday. Dan Zanes’ Gusto Hour, rolls out at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sunday, and will feature homemade instruments that kids can try their hand at. Fun-fuelled Seal Skull Hammer will perform some of their favourite spooky songs at 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, and Coig will play childhood favourites at 4:20 on Saturday.
There’s still time to order tickets online at www.rootsandblues.ca, or by calling 250-833-4096. Remember, children 12 years of age and under are admitted without charge when accompanied by an adult.