Juno-winning Vancouver Island swing blues duo Blue Moon Marquee performs at this year’s Robson Valley Music Festival, Aug. 16 t0 18. Photo Courtesy Blue Moon Marquee

Cowichan Valley swing blues duo Blue Moon Marquee won their first Juno on March 24, 2024. (Courtesy Blue Moon Marquee)

Robson Valley Music Festival preparing for 17th year

May 17, 2024 // by The Canadian Press

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By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, the Rocky Mountain Goat

Preparations for the annual Robson Valley Music Festival are well underway, with a new feature: for the first time in its 17-year history, festival goers will be able to pay for their tickets in two instalments.

Festival organizers made the change to ease the financial burden on people paying for a large group to attend, such as parents of multiple kids, Artistic Director and Executive Producer Shara Gustafson says. Additionally, the final day of the festival is always free for seniors. Weekend tickets for adults cost $175, but attendees can choose to make a donation to the festival and receive a ticket for just the last day, she added.

The kid-friendly, three-day festival, Aug. 16 to 18, Dunster, B.C., usually draws a crowd of about 600 to 800 people, Gustafson said. That sort of engagement is not only a boon for the local economy as visitors purchase food, accommodations, and souvenirs from Robson Valley businesses: it also brings a sense of community and exposure to a wide array of artists to the area, according to Gustafson.

“We’re basically bringing the world to our little tiny festival here,” Gustafson said. “We bring in acts that are award-winning. We bring in acts that nobody’s heard of that blow people’s minds.”

Gustafson added that the festival includes artists from a diverse range of backgrounds.

“We always have Indigenous acts, we always have global acts, we have LGBTQ2SIA acts,” she said. “We’re pretty diverse that way and it’s culturally rich… We have that feel of bigger festivals with higher engaging musicians and artists from all over, but on a smaller, more intimate level.”

While ticket sales cover most of the event costs, grant funding is also crucial to pay for artist fees, infrastructure, and other costs, Gustafson said. The festival gets funding from a variety of agencies, such as the Canada Council for the Arts and the British Columbia Arts Council.

James Jones, also known as Notorious Cree, is among the extensive line-up of performers taking the stage at the family-friendly Robson Valley Music Festival.

If you go:

Robson Valley Music Festival is Aug. 16 to 18 in Dunster, B.C., located just off Yellowhead Highway 16, between the communities of McBride and Valemount.
Tickets are $175 for a three-day pass, with youth and senior pricing available.
As a family-friendly festival, a kids’ zone features a variety of hands-on activities and performances designed for the younger set.
Camping is available and opens Thursday, Aug. 15.
Learn more at rvmf.ca

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