North Van Arts is bringing a brand-new performing arts festival to The Shipyards this summer, following the end of one of the North Shore’s longest-running community events.
Trolley Days: Heritage in Motion is set to debut June 6 and 7, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The two-day festival will feature music, dance, theatre, and heritage-style trolley tours celebrating the diverse stories and voices that have shaped the North Shore over time. The festival comes after the conclusion of the Arts in the Garden festival last year.
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“After saying farewell to Arts in the Garden, we really wanted to create something uniquely North Shore which would continue to bring people together and pay tribute to the roots of our community,” Executive Director Anna Lynch said in the media release. “Trolley Days will invite audiences to dive deeper into the stories and connections that make this community truly special.”
The inaugural festival will also premiere a new play by Ashley Chodat and Kelsey Ranshaw, written specifically for the event and inspired by local history.
According to the media release, most of the festival is free to attend. Saturday’s lineup includes multi-instrumentalist Darryl Klassen’s “Highbrow Hillbilly” set, Celtic folk from The Celtic Ensemble, Middle Eastern fusion dance from Pooneh Alizadeh and the Academy of Middle Eastern Dance, and hoop dancing by Petie Chalifoux from Driftpile Cree Nations.
Sunday’s performances include hip-hop and Afrobeats from Ricardo Pequenino, singer-songwriter Artemis Walden, jazz-funk favourites Jazzillion, drumming and songs from Indigenous Women Rise Society, and a Bharata Natya showcase from Mandala Arts & Culture Society.
Festival-goers can also opt for a ticketed heritage-style trolley tour guided by historical performers throughout each day. According to the media release, adult tickets start at $10, and children under five ride free. Proceeds from the tours will go toward funding the event.
