The Squamish Wind Festival is a community event in July that features concerts, art displays, the performing arts, an outdoor movie and other activities.

COVID-19 IMPACT ON FESTIVAL

The same as other events around the Lower Mainland and the rest of the world, the coronavirus has affected the Squamish Wind Festival. Now, instead of being a live event in mid-July, the plan is for it to be a semi-virtual event in August.

The event runs from August 1st until the 28th in 2020. Virtual workshops and livestreams are planned, as is a series of outdoor movies.

Drive-in-movie theatre evenings are planned for the Fridays of August 7th, 14th and 21st. On each night a local musician also performs. Capacity is limited to just 50 vehicles, so book your spot as soon as you can!

To learn more about the planned activities for 2020, see the Squamish Wind Festival website.

Wind Festival in Squamish

The Squamish Wind Festival for the Arts is an annual event with a focus on both visual and performing arts. It usually happens in July, but in 2020 the event has been postponed until August 7th to 21st. The Wind Festival has also been re-designed with physical distancing requirements in mind to include online and drive-in components.

This article includes the following information:

Where & When | All-Day Events | Saturday Entertainment | Vendors | Other Information

Click any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learn all about the Squamish Wind Festival.

Where and When

The three-day Squamish Wind Festival usually takes place on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday in mid-July in the town of Squamish which is located 45 minutes from Vancouver along the Sea to Sky Highway.

In 2020 the festival runs from August 1st until the 28th.

In years when there isn’t a pandemic, the festival venue is primarily around Cleveland Avenue in downtown Squamish between Victoria Street, Main Street and Junction Park.

Known as the “Outdoor Recreation Capital of the World,” Squamish is home to some of the region’s premier outdoor recreation venues, including Stawamus Chief Mountain (for hiking), the Sea to Sky Gondola, and Squamish Spit (for kite boarding).

For more information on the area, click Squamish or the Sea to Sky region.

Wind Festival All-Day Events

At the festival there is usually a free outdoor movie on the Friday, a farmers market on the Saturday, and live music, a beer garden and a food truck hub at various times throughout the weekend.

For an idea of what to expect in future years, below is the schedule for the 2019 Squamish Wind Festival.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

• 7:00 to 9:00 pm – Emerging Artists Concert Series: performances by up-and-coming musicians from the region took place at Junction Park in downtown Squamish. Food trucks were also on site during the evening.

Friday, July 19, 2019

• 7:30 to 11:30 pm – Movie Under the Stars: family-friendly activities and entertainment took place until the movie started at around 9:30 at Junction Park. Voted to be featured in 2019 was the movie Mary Poppins Returns.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

• 10:00 am to 3:00 pm – artisan and farmers market vendor stalls in downtown Squamish as well as face painting, balloon sculpting, food trucks and other activities.
• 10:00 am to 3:00 pm – Art workshops: craft workshops, food trucks, market vendors and other activities.

Vendors

Vendors and food trucks will likely not be at the 2020 festival. However, to give an idea of what to expect for future years, below are some of the vendors and food trucks that attended the 2019 Wind Festival.

Vendors

• Charcoal & Grain – selling handmade gifts made from reclaimed wood.
• Dogwood Letterpress – specializing in handmade vintage stationary.
• Fox Fibers – featuring hand-crafted woven plant and wall hangers.
• Geojab Bowls – West Coast Indigenous-designed bowls made from reclaimed wood.
• Hollow Tree – hand-crafted candles.
• Sons of Vancouver Distillery – a Vancouver-based small batch distillery.

Food Trucks

• Alice & Brohm Real Fruit Ice Cream – a New Zealand treat made with real fruit!
• Carte Diem – Seize the Souvlaki – a food truck serving traditional Greek cuisine.
• Chickpea – a food truck specializing in plant-based food.
• Luz Tacos – fun and delicious tacos served out of a converted airstream trailer.
• Mr. Bannock – a food truck serving traditional Indigenous foods.

Main Stage Saturday Entertainment

In years when physical distancing isn’t important, great local artists are featured on the Main Stage from 10:00 am until about 3:00 pm on the Saturday. Entertainers in 2019 included the following:

• Jon and Roy – a Canadian Roots band that has traveled around the world performing.
• Ira Pettle – groovy entertainment for the whole family.
• John Welsh & Los Valientes – a World Music Artist of the Year 2018 nominee specializing in Latin, West African and Reggae tunes.
• Old Soul Rebel – a powerful female duo.
• Norman Foote –  a Juno-Award winner with a unique style.

Other Information

See the Squamish Wind Festival website for more details about this fun cultural event in Squamish.

To learn more about the area, click Squamish or the Sea to Sky region.

For a list of other events in the Lower Mainland, see Vancouver’s July Calendar or Festivals & Events Calendar.