BY ANGUS HO

The Moon Festival is back for its 17th year on Saturday, September 14, 2019! This family-friendly event in Renfrew-Collingwood will bring you tonnes of live music, entertainment, beautiful art displays, food and more, for a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and evening.

Co-produced by Still Moon Arts Society and the Renfrew Park Community Association, the festival celebrates the harvest abundance and the full moon, while bringing to attention the natural beauty of Renfrew Ravine and Still Creek, which is one of the few remaining open stre ams with urban forest in the city.

Join us and over 5,000 other attendees from all over East Vancouver neighbourhoods to experience the transformation of the natural environment of the Renfrew Ravine into an enchanting scene of light, colour and music.

Pre-Moon Festival workshops

Come take part in public workshops offered throughout the month of September. Prior to the festival, you can make your own lanterns to help guide your way through the night, or learn how to make delicious mooncakes.

September 3 – 6: Arduino Lantern Workshop (5 – 8 pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $100 (4 days)

Fee includes $65 supplies for electronics and lantern materials. Must bring your own laptop with pre-installed apps – registration and details on the website stillmoonarts.ca.

September 7: 5 – 8 pm: Mooncake Workshop at CNH Annex // $20

September 8: 10 am – 1 pm: Mooncake Workshop at CNH Annex // $20

September 7 & 9: Fire and Water Lanterns at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $20 (2 days)

September 7: 1:30 – 4:30 pm

September 9: 4 – 7 pm

September 8 & 9: Mushroom Lanterns at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $25 (2 days)

September 8: 1:30 – 4:30 pm

September 9: 4 – 7 pm

September 10, 11, 12: Glass Jar Lanterns (4 – 7 pm) at Slocan Park Fieldhouse // $10 (1 day)

Moon Festival Schedule September 14

Harvest Fair: 4 – 7:30 pm @ Slocan Park

The Moon Festival kicks off with the Harvest Fair, a family-friendly festival featuring local musicians and performers, community organizations, food, games and activities, and a harvest competition where you can bring your homegrown crops to win prizes.

Twilight Lantern Walk: 7:30 – 8 pm

At sunset, attendees are encouraged to light their lanterns and join the parade, which is complete with live music and costumed participants. The parade will pass by various art installations and maybe even surprise performances until it reaches Renfrew Park.

Lantern Festival: 8 – 8:45 pm @ Renfrew Park

At Renfrew Park, witness the beauty of candlelight, exquisite lanterns, ethereal music and the shimmering Still Creek, with entertainment and food just outside of the ravine. The evening closes off with a finale spectacle featuring dancing, stilting, fire spinning and an explosion of light.

For more detailed information on the workshops, Moon Festival schedule, and accessibility, visit stillmoonarts.ca.

Performers and organizers after the performance of Cracks in Creeks. (L to r) Isabelle Russell, Jenna Berlyn, Roxanna Wang, Red Fawkes, Marie Whimbey, Tasha Hillman, Carmen Rosen, Starr Muranko, Devan Pawa-Larsen, Bea Miller. Photo by Angus Ho

Cracks in Creeks: Final showcase at the CNH Annex on September 22

On August 11, a group of emerging artists performed a site-specific version of Cracks in Creeks: Live Streaming on the banks of Still Creek, as part of the Vines Art Festival. The performers embraced the natural sounds and beauty of the ravine in their surroundings, while the audience moved through the creekside space in Renfrew Park with the performers. Tea was served after the performance alongside a knowledge-sharing session about Indigenous plants in the ravine.

You can still attend the final indoor performance of Cracks in Creeks at the Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex on September 22, from 6 to 7:30 pm. Join in witnessing the culmination of this youth mentorship project that spanned the entire summer.

Over many weeks, the performers of Cracks in Creeks were inspired by knowledge about Renfrew Ravine’s ecosystem, teachings about Indigenous plants and medicines, eco-art created by Still Moon Arts, and choreography lessons by professional dance mentors. Entrance to the final performance is based on a sliding scale from $5 to $20.

For more information on the performance and all events happening in September, visit the new website at stillmoonarts.ca. Follow Still Moon Arts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @stillmoonarts to stay up to date on all of our news!