The Castlegar Station Museum is presenting two Night Music and Markets on July 18 and Aug. 15 from 5 to 9 p.m. The events will be somewhat like the Farmers Market, offered in the daytime but with a wider variety of vendors and with professional entertainers.
On July 18, bands Paris Pick and Jaxson Drive will be performing. Paris Pick is described as soulful pop or as Paris describes it, “Imagine the Eagles, but fem-fronted. The Walsh & Felder era, of course.” Pick is recording her fourth album, having received Creative BC’s career development grant to make it happen. Jaxon Drive is a classic rock and country cover band familiar to Kootenay audiences. Local favourite drag jack, L. Bee along with Kelowna’s Ella Lamoureux will also be entertaining the crowd. These two witty performers will provide family-friendly entertainment at intervals throughout the evening to keep you laughing and the night hopping.
Both the day markets and the night markets are important fundraisers for the Castlegar & District Heritage Society. The society uses funds raised from vendor fees at the markets to help support the operations at the Station Museum and the chapel house on Zuckerberg Island. Both facilties are open in the spring, summer and autumn season and the market helps make it happen.
Music is an important addition to creating a great mood at the markets. “We believe that artists and musicians should be paid fairly for their work,” says executive director Maggie Shirley. “We got a helpful grant from the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance to pay for musicians at the Night Market. We are hoping to raise funds to pay for music at the day markets too. So we are running a raffle to do just that.”
The raffle, themed Eat Local, is offering over $200 in prizes, including two gift certificates from the Nineteenth, gift certificates from Common Grounds, Zicatela Mexican Grill, and the Grateful Table. Market vendors Roots and Flora Farms, Sourdough and Sweets by Alica Anne, Hawthorne Creek Farm, and Linden Lane Farm have all offered gifts of produce.
“We are very grateful to both the local restaurants and the market vendors who have contributed to this prize package,” Shirley says. “We encourage everyone to support local food producers and restaurants. It’s a win-win for the community to have our friends and neighbours growing and making delicious food for us. We thank them for their generous donations. And the fact that this raffle then supports musicians for our enjoyment while we shop is an extra bonus.”
Tickets for the raffle are available at the Saturday markets (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday except July 18 and Aug. 15) or at the Station Museum (generally open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday). The price for the raffle is $10 for 5 tickets or $20 for 15 tickets. Please bring cash. The draw for the raffle will be at the Night Market on July 18 at 7 p.m.
