The City of Owen Sound is hosting its first ever four-day Sound Waterfront Festival this week.
The new Sound Waterfront Festival is set to occur from June 30 to July 3 between Kelso Beach at Nawash Park and the Owen Sound Visitor Centre.
This four-day event with feature a combination of arts and culture, Indigenous workshops and ceremonies at the Reconciliation Garden, entertainment, artisans, Ghost Walks, Black History storytelling and music, Canada Day fireworks, food trucks, children’s activities, Corkscrew City Tours, exhibits and rail travel history.
Owen Sound Events and Activation Coordinator Jennifer Wright says the festivities starting on June 30 at the Visitor Centre will be geared towards youth.
“It’s our youth day, we are running a lot of youth activities from about noon hour till 8 o’clock at night. We have got music on the stage, we have got dancing, we have so much going on. We are lucky we have some youth discoveries performers, the Owen Sound dance academy is going to be with us, we have got button making and crafts, scavenger hunts, lots of things for the kids to do,” says Wright.
For Canada day on July 1, Wright says the day will be packed with activities and entertainers including the Owen Sound City band. There will be a variety of food and craft vendors before the evening ends with fireworks at 10 p.m.
Wright says for July 2, they are going to be focusing on Black history.
“We have the Sheffield Park Black History and Cultural Museum from Clarksburg bringing their artifacts and some of their museum pieces to be able to showcase for the day,” says Wright.
The day will also feature a variety of Black history musicians throughout the day.
The four-day festivities will end on July 3, with what Wright describes as a day of truth and reconciliation. There will be a lighting of a sacred fire and a ceremony at the healing circle.
Wright says there is also be knowledge sharing and children’s activities including painting rocks and bead work.
Jen Wright was a guest on the CFOS Morning Show with Rick Ringer in Thursday Morning
.
