A free, annual tradition in Coquitlam, the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival used to be a weekend of music, art and culture.
In 2023 the festival ran on August 18th and 19th. The festival didn’t happen in 2024 and it might not return in the future.
Other free events that do take place in August each year include Ribfest Langley, the Shipyards Night Market, Chilliwack Pride Festival and Chilliwack Flight Fest airshow. Ticketed events include Playland and the PNE Fair.
The Kaleidoscope Arts Festival
The Kaleidoscope Arts Festival began in 2016 as a one-day event. It grew into a weekend of programming. Fitting given its name, the festival had a range of offerings and was split up into multiple venues.
In 2023 the festival took place over two days. Each day of the festival was in a different public park with its own theme. The first day was an evening concert with two local bands. The second day featured live music as well, in addition to art activities and dance performances.
2023 Dates and Locations
The dates for the festival in 2023 were Friday, August 18th, and Saturday, August 19th.
Two different Coquitlam parks hosted that year’s festival. On Friday the festival began at Town Centre Park at 1299 Pinetree Way. The activities happened next to Lafarge Lake. Performances that night were from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm.
On Saturday the festival hit Blue Mountain Park at 975 King Albert Avenue from noon until 4:00 pm.
All of the festival’s events were free to attend! They took place outdoors so everyone had to dress appropriately for whatever the weather was like.
2023 Kaleidoscope Schedule
Each day of the festival was different from the other, not just in location but with regards to the theming as well. One detail they all had in common, though, were the food trucks stationed at the parks. You were always able to find something to eat!
Below were the full performance schedules for the festival in 2023.
Friday, August 18th, 2023
The first day of the festival was a free concert at Town Centre Park. There were two indie rock bands performing. Also, alongside the stage was a collection of food trucks offering ice cream, kettle corn, Fijian cuisine, and more.
Below was the performance schedule for the Friday.
- 6:00 pm – The Zolas
- 7:30 pm – Current Swell
Saturday, August 19th, 2023
The day at Blue Mountain Park was meant to focus on art. There were hands-on activities, plus live music and dance performances for all to enjoy.
The workshops and activities below ran from 12:00 pm until 4:00 pm.
- Beaver and Bird Workshop
- Hapazome
- Métis Dot Painting
- Wood Carving Workshop
Live performances that took place on the Saturday are listed below.
- 12:00 pm – Her Tribal Roots x Eartern Bodies (Dance Performances)
- 12:00 pm – STORIES on WHEELS (Storytelling)
- 12:30 pm – CTRL:N (Flamenco Dance)
- 1:00 pm – Aeriosa Dance Society (Aerial Performance)
- 1:20 pm – CTRL:N (Flamenco Dance)
- 1:55 pm – Aeriosa Dance Society (Aerial Performance)
- 2:15 pm – To’Kam (Indigenous Musical Performance)
- 2:50 pm – Aeriosa Dance Society (Aerial Performance)
- 3:15 pm – The Boytles (Musical Performance)
Other Information
For more information about the events, visit the City of Coquitlam‘s website.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- City of Coquitlam
- Vancouver’s August Calendar
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Lower Mainland Activities for Children
