Whoever had the fantastic idea to have a music festival in Prince George in the dead of winter is a genius.February in Prince George is a terrible month surpassed only by March and sometimes April.
This year, the weather has been so unpredictable that the entire city is holding their collective breaths to see whether or not spring is coming early or if Mother Nature has yet to unleash the Kracken of storms plunging us all into six feet drifts of snow and an unending power outage.
If I had to put money on it, I would bet on the Kracken.
The usually dreary month of February is why the Coldsnap Music festival is such a great idea.Who really wants to leave the house during the worst of the winter doldrums? No one, unless you are one of the super keeners who snowshoe or who like to go winter camping. (As a side note, why would anyone want to go winter camping? Camping is fun in the sun - not in the rain or snow. Ever.) This year, there is a lot to coax a person out of the house and into a warm venue filled with great tunes and music lovers.
From Feb. 3-11, musicians from around the globe and from our own backyard will descend on our partially-frozen city to entertain and inspire the citizens of Prince George and surrounding regions.The only catch, buy a ticket and come out and enjoy.
If you have never come to Coldsnap before, try an event out for free at the Canada Games Plaza this Friday featuring DJ Shubb and Speed Control made possible by the fine folks at Celebrate PG! If you liked that and you are wondering what a mere $30 (plus tax) will buy you? How about a night of dance to the World Hot Beats: Quique Escamilla, Buckman Coe & Circadian Rhythm on Saturday at the Ramada Ballroom? It is a proven fact that dancing keeps you young. Come out and dance!
Need something new to do with your kids? How about joining us at the PG Playhouse on Sunday at 2 p.m. for The Kerplunks: Coldsnap for Kids. Tickets for this event are priced at $5 (plus tax).
Find a babysitter for the evening and come and join us at Globally Inspired Roots and Harmonies with The Bills, Anna & Elizabeth and William Kuklis and Marcel Gagnon (tickets are $30 plus tax for the later events).
If serene vocal harmonies are more your thing, consider attending Coldsnap on Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the PG Playhouse for Sensational Singers: Andrea Ramolo & Matt Epp, Coco Love Alcorn, Sean Robinson. I have heard Coco Love Alcorn play at Artswells for the last few years and she is not to be missed.
Thursday, Feb. 7 brings Samson's Delilah, Twin Peaks, & Matt Patershuk in the Celebrate Music of the North event at the Fore Bistro (PG Golf & Curling Club). This should be an exciting and high energy show.
Friday, Feb. 10 opens the weekend at the PG Playhouse with a Celtic String Extravaganza with Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas, Wendy MacIsaac and Troy MacGillivray, and Chloe Nakahara. Lovers of fiddle music and haunting Celtic harmonies need to be here.
The final show of Coldsnap 2017 is at the Ramada Ballroom and will bring us Célébrons Nos Festivals d'Hiver, featuring the music of two exceptional francophone bands, Christine Tassan et les Imposteures and Les Chauffeurs à Pieds. This night will be a blast.
What you should really do is buy a festival pass for $197.19 which will get you into all of the shows. What else are you going to do in February? Look out your window at the (not) melting snow? Set your PVR and come on down and support local and independent musicians.
It is also a little known fact that music actually makes you smarter and decreases stress while increasing overall happiness. Music is emotional, physical, evocative and beautiful and the opportunity to have such a wide array of fantastic musicians come to this city only happens once a year. For more information, visit coldsnapfestival.com.
