The Tsawwassen Sun Fest's Music Festival is going big for its first year.
The four-day festival is made up of 30 acts and over 70 musicians who will be performing at eight venues around town.
Dave McIlroy, the event's artistic director and executive producer, hopes the music festival, which gets started today and runs until Monday, will become something that local residents and businesses take real pride in.
"We have such great talent here who are anxious to share their passion for the arts. Some are yet to be discovered and others are significantly recognizable but all agree being recognized by one's hometown instills a special element of pride," he says.
Sun Festival co-ordinator Elaine Campbell says "all sorts of acts" will be performing at venues like the Town Centre Mall, Tsawwassen Legion and the skateboard park.
"He's done an amazing job," she says, commenting on McIlroy's work on the inaugural music fest.
Jordan Field is a singer with Six to Midnight, a Tsawwassen-based band that will be performing on Sunday at the skate park.
He says the band is "really stoked" the music festival will help musicians be showcased locally.
"What people can expect from our show is just a really exciting, fun musical experience," he says. "We love playing live shows, and feed off of the audience's energy."
The four-piece band, which has a style that includes a mix of rock, soul, blues, funk and hip-hop, has recently finished an eight-song EP that Field says the group takes real pride in.
A CD release party is planned for Venue nightclub in Vancouver on Aug. 18.
Delta Secondary grad Daniel Joseph is a hip-hop artist who goes by the stage name of Dangerous.
He'll be performing, along with the Rhymists, on Sunday at the skate park as well.
They teamed up last weekend to perform at the Caribbean Days Festival in North Vancouver.
"The Sun Festival is ... another community event that we are fortunate and honoured to be a part of," Joseph says, adding that music makes the party and keeps it going.
He plans to perform songs from his latest album, The Dream Catcher, while the Rhymists will do a couple tracks from their latest effort, Timeless Travelers.
For more on the Sun Festival visit www.sunfestival.ca.
MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP
TSAWWASSEN LEGION:
. Tin Pan Alley - July 29, 7: 30 p.m.
. The Hutchison Effect (with guests) - July 30, 7: 30 p.m.
. Blues Jam - July 31, 6 p.m.
TOWN CENTRE MALL (ROTARY SQUARE):
. Tyson McIlroy - July 30, 3 p.m.
. Caitlin Toom - July 30, 4: 30 p.m.
TOWN CENTRE MALL (RBC):
. The Centennials - July 31, 12 p.m.
. Patrick Gurr Trio - July 31, 1: 30 p.m.
. Tin Pan Alley - July 31, 3 p.m.
. Frankly Yours (George Ellenton) - July 31, 4: 30 p.m.
PETRA'S:
. Jpegs - July 30, 12 p.m.
. Lee Cannon-Brown - July 30, 3 p.m.
. Delta Youth Orchestra - July 31, 1: 30 p.m.
. James Glennon - July 31, 4: 30 p.m.
COURTYARD (BY JACK'S TV):
. Bossa Boys - July 30, 1: 30 p.m.
. Oliver Conway - July 30, 4: 30 p.m.
. Daryle Sherman - July 31, 12 p.m.
. Christine Magee - July 31, 3 p.m.
EARTHWISE GARDEN:
. Kuimba - July 30, 12 p.m.
. Krista Marshall - July 30, 1: 30 p.m.
. Brittany Hebenton - July 30, 3 p.m.
. Drum Circle (hand drums) - July 30, 4: 30 p.m.
. Gerry and Trevor Layton - July 31, 12 p.m.
. Jazz Jam Session - July 31, 3 p.m.
ILLUMINATE:
. Jazzers - July 29, 8 p.m.
. Ross Houghland (feat. Stephen Robb) - July 30, 7 p.m.
. Stephen Robb (feat Tom Pickett) - July 31, 7 p.m.
SKATEBOARD PARK:
. Lucidity - July 31, 12 p.m.
. StrangeFruit - July 31, 1: 45 p.m.
. Dangerous and Rhymists - July 31, 4 p.m.
. Six to Midnight - July 31, 6: 30 p.m.
