The Harrison Festival of the Arts is a 10-day festival at Harrison Hot Springs in the Fraser Valley that features an artisan market, workshops and concerts.
In 2024 the 45th annual festival took place from July 12th to 21st. Exact dates for the festival’s return in 2025 are to be confirmed.
TIP: While you’re in the Harrison area, be sure to also visit the Sasquatch Museum and Kilby Historic Site. Both are very interesting places. The first has free admission and the second has special activities and demonstrations in the summer.
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Festival Details | Venues | Tickets | Festival Activities | Music on the Beach | Waterfront Artisan Market | Workshops | Visual Art Exhibits | Evening Shows in the Hall | Children’s Day | Tips & Advice | Other Information
Harrison Festival of the Arts
For over 40 years Harrison Hot Springs has been celebrating this fabulous family-friendly event each summer with both national and international artists.
The festival includes live music of all kinds, visual arts displays, an artisan market, workshops and an evening of live theatre. There is also a special day for children.
Many of the activities at the Harrison Festival of the Arts are free or by donation, while others are ticketed. Concerts take place outdoors by the waterfront and each evening there is a live performance of some kind at the Harrison Memorial Hall located at 290 Esplanade Avenue.
Festival Details
The festival ran from Friday, July 12th, to Sunday, July 21st in 2024. There are free concerts on the Beach Stage in the middle of town. There are also ticketed events in a hall, plus an artisan market, art exhibits and more.
Continue reading below to learn more about this year’s Harrison Festival of the Arts.
Arts Festival Venues
The Harrison Festival of the Arts takes place in Harrison Hot Springs which is a beautiful lakeside resort town a couple of hours east of Vancouver in the Fraser Valley. Harrison Hot Springs is a small place with natural hot springs, restaurants, hotels and magnificent views of the mountains and stunning Harrison Lake.
The outdoor concerts take place in the park between the main boulevard and the lake at the festival, as does the artisan market a little further down the way. Workshops are at the Memorial Hall at 290 Esplanade Avenue during the day, and ticketed shows are at the same location each evening.
The festival’s art exhibition takes place at the Ranger Station Art Gallery at 98 Rockwell Drive.
Festival Ticket Information
The waterfront artisan market at the Harrison Festival of the Arts is free to browse.
Concerts on the outdoor stage are also free. However, organizers of the beach concerts ask you to buy a Festival Button for a “donation” of at least $2 if you can. Workshop admission and access to the art gallery is also by donation.
In 2024 most of the indoor concerts cost about $30.50 for adults and $27.50 for youth and seniors.
TIP: If you plan to attend all or at least most of the shows at the Memorial Hall, with one taking place each evening, then buy a Hall Pass which gives you access to all performances. Hall Passes in 2024 cost $205 for adults and $190 for students and seniors.
Harrison Festival Activities
Events and activities at the Harrison Festival of the Arts include outdoor concerts, an artisan market, workshops, visual art exhibits, evening shows and a Children’s Day.
Music on the Beach
In 2024, concerts took place outdoors by the waterfront most days during the festival. A Festival Button is recommended as admission to the Music on the Beach venue and the cost is a minimum $2 donation.
Different bands perform all different kinds of music genres. The 2024 festival lineup was as follows:
Saturday, July 13th, 2024
- 12:00 pm – Festival Opening ceremony
- 1:00 pm – North Shore Celtic Ensemble
- 2:20 pm – Murray Porter
- 3:40 pm – BuenRostro
- 5:00 pm – Cara Luft
Sunday, July 14th, 2024
- 1:00 pm – Empanades Ilegales
- 2:20 pm – Kitty and the Rooster
- 3:40 pm – Cara Luft
- 5:00 pm – BuenRostro
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024
- 6:30 pm – Jackson Hollow
Wednesday, July 17th, 2024
- 6:30 pm – Suzie Ungerleider
Thursday, July 18th, 2024
- 6:30 pm – Fränder
Friday, July 19th, 2024
- 2:00 pm – Fränder
- 3:20 pm – Jay Gilday
- 6:30 pm – Zar Electrik
Saturday, July 20th, 2024
- 1:00 pm – Tower of Song
- 2:20 pm – Leela Gilday
- 3:40 pm – Tio Chorinho
- 5:00 pm – Robin Layne & the Rhythm Makers
Sunday, July 21st, 2024
- 12:00 pm – Darren Charlie
- 1:00 pm – Sechile Sadare
- 2:20 pm – Tio Chorinho
- 3:40 pm – Maryna Krut
- 5:00 pm – Making Movies
Waterfront Artisan Market
There is an artisan market along the waterfront where local and other BC artists and artisans have all sorts of artwork and products for sale on both weekends of the festival. Note: The market only takes place on the weekends – not weekdays.
On both Saturdays of the festival in 2024 the market was open from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm and on Sundays from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm. The market also ran from noon until 7:00 pm on Friday, July 19th.
For more information about the market and the list of vendors in 2024, see the Artisan Market page.
Harrison Festival Workshops
There are usually a number of interesting workshops to choose from at the Harrison Festival of the Arts. The same was the case in 2024. Most workshops cost a minimum $2 donation, but the drum making costs up to $155.
In 2024 there were workshops scheduled for select days of the festival. See below for details.
Saturday, July 13th, 2024
- 9:00 am to 10:00 am – Yoga on the Beach
- 1:00 pm – Spark the Fire: Intro to Novel Writing
Sunday, July 14th, 2024
- 9:00 am to 10:00 am – Yoga on the Beach
- 11:00 am – Harmony Singing with Cara Luft
- 1:00 pm – Because Music Was Made To Dance
Saturday, July 20th, 2024
- 9:00 am to 10:00 am – Yoga on the Beach
- 1:00 pm – The Wide Wide World of Brazilian Music
Sunday, July 21st, 2024
- 9:00 am to 10:00 am – Yoga on the Beach
- 1:00 pm – Harrison Ukulele Gathering
- 1:00 pm – Indigenous Drum Making
Visual Art Exhibits
The visual art exhibits take place at the Ranger Station Art Gallery at 98 Rockwell Drive which is located at the far eastern end of the village a short walk from the water. Admission is by donation and the gallery’s hours during the festival are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day.
In 2024 the exhibit ran from July 12th to 28th. During non-festival days, the gallery is open on weekdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and on weekends from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Evening Shows in the Hall
In 2024 there was a different ticketed performance at Harrison Memorial Hall each evening. This year’s schedule of ticketed shows was as follows:
Saturday, July 13th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble
Sunday, July 14th, 2024
- 7:30 pm – Harry Manx
Monday, July 15th, 2024
- 7:30 pm – Locarno
Tuesday, July 16th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Evening of Theatre
Wednesday, July 17th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Kathryn Tickell & the Darkening
Thursday, July 18th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Qairo
Friday, July 19th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Shooglenifty
Saturday, July 20th, 2024
- 8:00 pm – Dobet Gnahoré
Sunday, July 21st, 2024
- 7:30 pm – Barney Bentall
Children’s Day
In 2024 a special kids-focused Children’s Day took place on the Wednesday of the festival from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm outdoors at Harrison Memorial Hall. Admission was about $6 each.
At the Children’s Day venue there are usually live performances by family-friendly entertainers and a wide range of activity stations featuring everything from drama opportunities to arts and crafts to singing and wall climbing.
The 2024 edition included performances by Bobs and Lolo, Twin Embers and Cosmo Circus. It took place on July 17th.
For the latest information, see the Children’s Day page.
Tips & Advice
Harrison Hot Springs is a beautiful town to visit in a stunning location any time of the year. When there’s a festival in town, however, it becomes even more interesting. The Harrison Festival of the Arts is one that’s definitely worth checking out.
TIP #1: Assuming good weather, weekends are when the festival is by far the most interesting (and crowded) because that’s when there are more outdoor concerts and the waterfront artisan market takes place.
TIP #2: Harrison Lake is stunning. Take your swimsuit, suntan lotion and boat if you have one, even if it’s just inflatable.
TIP #3: Boats of all kinds are also usually available for rent at Harrison Hot Springs, but you might want to reserve in advance if wanting one during the festival, especially if going on a weekend.
TIP #4: Harrison also has a giant waterpark with inflatable slides and things to jump off of and into the lake. Be warned – if your kids see it they’ll want to try it out. Also, unless you don’t mind really long lines, a sunny weekend when there’s a festival in town might not be the best time to try the bouncy water toys out. For details about the attraction, see our article about the Harrison Waterpark.
TIP #5: While in the area, be sure to drop by the newly renovated Sasquatch Museum and/or Kilby Historic Site. The museum is right in Harrison Hot Springs, it has been recently renovated, and admission is free. Located just a 20-minute drive away, Kilby Historic Site, meanwhile, is a most interesting place with a museum, farm, cafe and historic buildings and artifacts.
Other Information
For more information about the festival, visit the Harrison Festival of the Arts website.
Click Harrison Hot Springs for more information on the resort town and festivals there at other times of the year.
For a list of other events taking place in July visit Vancouver’s Monthly Calendar and for details on other major events at different times of the year see Vancouver’s Festivals & Events Calendar. Events you will find there include other free festivals like Carnaval del Sol in Vancouver and the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver.
