First music festival highlighting BIPOC performers coming to Victoria
For the first time ever, a music festival showcasing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) artists that's organized by BIPOC community members is coming to Victoria.
The all-ages music festival, called Function Festival, will be held at Ship Point in Victoria on Aug. 20 from 2:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Seven local artists from Victoria and Vancouver will perform at the festival, which will also include food, vendors, and a graffiti station.
"The festival initially started with me actually being here [in Centennial Square] two years ago and being in the peace rally for black lives," said festival producer Charity Williams.
Williams says she remembers feeling a sense of community when looking out onto the crowd that year, but also a sense of communal pain and tragedy.
Thousands of people came together at Victoria's Centennial Square to hold a demonstration in support of the Black Lives Matter movement: June 7, 2020 (Stephanie Roussinos)
"I really wanted to recreate this space but out of somewhere that came from joy and entertainment – and love and gathering and community," she said.
Tickets for the music festival are $35 each, but children under 12 will be able to attend for free.
Students can also get a 25 per cent discount on tickets if they purchase through the festival's website.
Musicians for the festival include headliner Kaash Paige, Boslen, Prado Monro, Turunesh, Micky Weekes, Notorious Cree, and 11:11.
"People can look forward to a bunch of different activities," said Williams.
"We have four food vendors, a vendor alley of all BIPOC vendors and a full day of music," she said.
A barber will also be onsite, with the first five people in line receiving a free haircut.
"I hope everyone can make it out and I think it's going to be a really amazing day," said Williams.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.