Ten day countdown to Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Fest
July 21-24 event will be biggest ever and kick off with free community concert and gala
Fort Langley, BC – The 2022 Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival will kick off with a bang this summer – with a free community concert and gala event on the opening day of the event, running from July 21-24.
The free concert will take place at the Fort Langley Community Hall featuring a performance by the Rugcutter Dance Orchestra, a 15-piece ensemble specializing in original arrangements in the style of the great dance orchestras of the twenties, thirties, and forties.
The opening day festivities ramp up in the evening with a night of glamour and glitz at the Great Gatsby Gala. Located at the Fort Langley Community Hall, the gala will begin with an outdoor reception featuring live music, food stalls and passed wine. The outdoor atmosphere will be 1930’s grand and glamorous with Great-Gatsby/art deco themed decor and a New Orleans inspired band. Attendees will then transition into the indoor ballroom which will be reminiscent of a 1930’s prohibition-style speakeasy club, once again featuring the Rugcutter Dance Orchestra and additional food and beverage services. Tickets for the gala are available here: https://www.fortlangleyjazzfest.com/gala-event
The Odlum Brown Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival will be the biggest ever, with more than 60 bands and 300 musicians performing across eight indoor and outdoor stages. This includes the festival marque event, the All-Star Blues Show on Friday, July 22 and a four-night Jazz Concert Series at Chief Sepass Theatre from Thursday to Sunday, July 21 – 24 with two headlining ticketed shows each night.
“The event will include the most extensive free stage lineup in the history of the event, making it as inclusive and diverse as possible,” said Karen Zukas, Festival Co-Founder and Executive Director. “Featured free events and performances on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival will include a wide array of artists who will deliver something for everyone, regardless of their musical taste or age.”
Headline Acts:
Headline ticketed acts include blues guitarist and singer Sue Foley; jazz vocalist Molly Johnson, jazz-funk band The Shuffle Demons, jazz trumpeter Michael Sarian, jazz pianist and singer Champian Fulton, Afro Dominican Latin Jazz percussionist, Junior Santos and soul-gospel performer, Warren Dean Flandez - among others. For information and tickets to the headliner acts visit https://www.fortlangleyjazzfest.com/lineup-2022.
Free Stages:
The event will also include the most extensive free stage lineup in the history of the event on July 23 and 24. TransLink shuttle buses will connect six outdoor stages and two parking areas located throughout the village, allowing visitors to experience all the fun and festivities from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on the Saturday and Sunday of the festival (July 23 and 24). You can also find overflow parking at the Lions Club Hall (88th Avenue and Glover Road), as well as the orchard area beside the Fort Langley Historic Site. A bike valet service is also available behind the Fort Langley Community Hall, for those who want to ride their bike to the festival and lock it up safely while enjoying all that the festival has to offer.
Cultural / Arts Opportunities:
The 2022 festival will feature a Kwantlen Art & Cultural Exhibition to showcase the rich talents, culture, and history of Kwantlen First Nation. The public will be able to stroll through the free exhibited area to learn about Indigenous art, culture and history while enjoying Indigenous music and food.
Visitors are also invited to make their mark by participating in a collaborative ‘paint by number’ art mural July 23rd and 24th at the Festival Art Zone that was created by Kwantlen First Nation siblings, Elinor, and Noah Atkins. The mural is intended to mark Canada's emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic that reflects the theme of reflection, recovery, and rejuvenation. “It is also a wonderful opportunity for us to practice the traditional intergenerational transfer of knowledge and it is a way that us as Kwantlen youth can engage with the surrounding community and share a little bit about us as Kwantlen people, “said Elinor. You can also take part in the Opus Outdoor Painting Challenge (July 23rd10AM-5PM), in which painters of all ages and skill levels can harness their creative talents with the opportunity to win some amazing prizes from Opus Art & Supplies, wander through the Art Market and take part in Art Workshops (July 24th).
Children’s Activities:
A range of entertainment for the younger set is equally impressive, including four-time Juno nominee for best children’s album, Norm Foote, and local children’s’ entertainer Penny Pom Pom who will be performing on both days. In addition to the fantastic performers, children can also visit the Kidz Zone, where they can try out musical instruments, paint by sound, and have their faces painted.
Opening the free festival day on Saturday, July 23 will be a Mardi Gras Strolling parade, sponsored by Telus, and featuring the RazzMaJazz Ensemble and Noxious Obs Society band. Everyone is invited to get dressed-up in Mardi Gras attire and join the traditional New Orleans strolling parade that will make its way from the Fort Langley Village Farmers’ Market to Fort Langley Community Hall where the festival’s official opening ceremony will take place.
A special Jazz Vespers event at St. Andrew’s United Churches of Langley will open the free festival day on Sunday, July 24. This special service will include two sets of jazz with the Blue Heron duo and Marcus Mosely.
The Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival would not be possible without the incredible support, including the following:
Funders: Government of Canada, FACTOR, Province of BC, BC Arts Council, CreativeBC, BC Touring Council, Metro Vancouver and the Township of Langley
Title Sponsor: Odlum Brown Limited
Presenting Sponsors: Conwest/Vicini Homes, Fort Langley Community Improvement Society, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, MacCallum Law Group LLP, Fraser Port Authority proudly representing the Port of Vancouver
Supporting Sponsors: Ayreborn Audio-Video, Bedford Dental Centre, Calibre Projects/Quadra Homes, Chartwell Retirement Residences, Langley Community Music School, SpaTru, Telus
Rising Jazz Star Sponsor: Coast Capital Savings
ABOUT THE FORT LANGLEY JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL:
The Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival is a not-for-profit cultural organization that makes accessible the highest caliber of jazz music and arts programming to a wide variety of audiences through the presentation of year-round concerts and events and an annual music and arts festival.
FOLLOW THE FORT LANGLEY JAZZ & ARTS FESTIVAL: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
MEDIA TOOLS:
WATCH/SHARE the 2021 Best of the Fest video HERE. VIEW/CHECK OUT high-res photos HERE.
Here’s a link to our YouTube channel where the 2021 Best of the Fest and our 2021 highlight video is available.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Laura Ballance Laura@LBMG.ca 604.771.5176