CranFest XII – July 28-30 2023

2023 Save The Date ~ CranFest XII:

Midsummer Full Moon Weekend: July 28th – 30th

Cranfest XI 2022 has come and gone, but to all of the many fine folks/friends who helped bring it all about, and to all the great musicians who participated by playing awesome music, and to all the families attending and bringing your kids and your parents and your most excellent selves – Thanks for helping us Rock🤘

See ya next year – and in the meantime all around our little island home 🙂

An Annual Full Moon Family/Friends Musical Campout Weekend

  • Friday Afternoon thru Sunday Morning
  • Ticket Info: order tickets on our Get Tickets Page starting in early 2023 – keep an eye out for the invitation. **(tickets are sold in advance online only, no ticket sales at the door)
  • Ticket numbers are limited to encourage a very kid friendly atmosphere and connection with one another. If you’d like to ensure you can attend, you’ll need to get your tickets early as several ticket categories will sell out.
    • $15* for Friday
    • $20* for Saturday
    • $30* for Both Fri & Sat Nights
      • * In 2022 we began a 5:00-6:30pm potluck dinner with an emphasis on bringing a dish made with locally-sourced food from farms, farmsteads, and our local markets – which was a roaring success. Once again in 2023, you’ll be able to purchase a discounted Cranfest ticket with a commitment to arrive prior to 4:30 and bring a dish to share made with food sourced from a local farm/farmstand/market. The goal is to encourage people to arrive early to connect with one another and enjoy the early musicians, while also supporting our local food growers. If you can commit to arriving prior to 4:30pm with a local dish to share, you’ll be able to select one of the discounted ticket prices. More info on the Schedule page 🙂
    • Kids 16 & under Free with accompanying adult – (Please select free tix for your kids)
    • Onsite Parking & Camping included (no street parking please)
    • Please keep all dogs & cats & kangaroos safely at home, thanks!
  • Feel free to share news of this event appropriately and privately with your very good friends/families, keeping in mind it is a local community connecting event geared for All Ages – from Babies to Great-Grandparents. Thank you for your discretion.
Mapstone – Dreams

Schedule

(LAST YEAR’S 2022 WEEKEND SCHEDULE – 2023 TBA this Spring)

  • FRIDAY, Aug 12th – Guest arrival starts at 2:00 for camping setup and kid/adult games throughout the afternoon.
    • Outdoor Movie ~ 11:00 – David Lynch’s The Straight Story – Rated-G (free popcorn at movie time)
    • Quiet Sleepy Time 12:30-8:00a out of respect for our neighbours, our kids, and our hard working volunteers
  • SATURDAY, Aug 13th – kid/adult games throughout the day, maybe a walk down to the beach/dock.
    • 5:00-6:30 – Community Potluck
  • Food Options –
    • **This year instead of having food carts we invite you to bring a locally-sourced-ingredient(s) food dish to share at our inaugural community potluck dinner on both Fri & Sat evenings from 5-6:30pm, with discounted Cranfest ticket prices for participants who are able to arrive early with a dish to share. *see potluck info below* 🙂If the early potluck is not an option for you, please feel free to bring your own picnic dinner to enjoy, and you are also welcome to bring something to throw onto the big grill while it’s hot between 4:30-8:00 🙂Greg Bellavance Welding‘s Big BBQ trailer grill will be hot from 4:30-8:00, byo favourite local grillables for yourself and your familyWe’re happy we can welcome back Roly Poly Rice Balls for weekend snacks :)Fruit Freezeypops available at the welcome desk throughout the weekend – free for kids
    • Bicycle Blender Kid-Made Apple Blackberry Slushies
    • Saturday morning brunch-time Kid-Made Pancakes w/Blueberry Sauce and coffee
    • Sunday morning brunch-time Oatmeal and coffee
    • Fernwood Road Cafe is just down the road for delicious breakfast, lunch, snacks & drinks as well between 9-4
  • All Ages Fun Activities Include:
    • Rock Painting Station – BYO Favourite RockJust Announced! – Archery Tag with David Gagnon on Friday mid-afternoonDancingVolleyballBadmintonWater Misting StationPing PongBocceGiant ChessGiant CheckersGiant JengaCroquetSoccer GamesTelescopesHorseshoesSlacklinesHula HoopsSack RacesWater Squirters & Balloon Launchers
    • Kiddie Pool & Playgym
    • Propane Firepit
    • James & Tiff and The Circus crew will light us up again!

What’s a CranFest?

CranFest is an Annual Salt Spring Island Community Family-Friendly Camp-Out Solar-Powered Full-Moon Non-Profit Live-Music&Art Outdoor-Couch-Popcorn-Movie Astronomical-Adventure All-Ages Multi-Generational Musical-Yoga Reasonably-Priced (Kids Always Free) Festival Celebration Weekend Benefit Thing

What began in 2010 as a one-off SSI Family Co-Op Preschool BBQ has evolved slowly into a recurring community summer weekend event. In our first year, legendary band Lane 31 joined our kid bbq on a whim and played in the dirt and in the dark for some fun and dancing, and questions began the following year about doing it again – and again…

Throughout the ensuing years, we have been very fortunate and grateful to have gathered together a core gang of good friend volunteers who help keep things rolling along by generously donating their time and energy, providing inspiration and great ideas and people-power. Our collaborative intentions have remained focused on keeping this a Family-Friendly and Community-Connecting weekend event where we can continue to raise our kids together, fostering and modelling responsibly fun behaviour.

Although the numbers of friends/families attending and the numbers of musicians performing have increased a bit since our first impromptu evening of live music, we strive to keep the numbers of people attending within the realms of positive family/friend and community connection – we aim to stay reasonably small and respectfully fun.

We’ve been powered by the people and James Cowan’s solar/bike power generator trailer creation, and we are energized by the sun and the great vibes that our very talented musician friends bring to our humble little homemade stage.

We hope you’ll bring your kids and their grandparents and campout for the weekend, it’s a great way to join in on all the fun connecting with friends and families, both old and new.

History

Previous CranFests

2022 CranFest XI ~ Aug 12-14 – What an awesome giant bunch of kids we all get to be together again

2021 CranFest X ~ Aug 20-22 – welcome back into the groove – a truly needed magical respite weekend from global chaos – thank you

2020 CranFest – the year Live Music took a hard break : [

2019 mini-CranFest IX ~ June 29 – throwback to the original CranFest I (scaled back for our wedding year 🙂 )

2018 CranFest VIII ~ July 27-29 – we all feel so very lucky to be a part of pulling this together year after year. let’s definitely try to keep it small.

2017 CranFest VII ~ July 4-6 – well this thing somehow just keeps getting better and better, so let’s keep it small…

2016 CranFest VI ~ July 15-17 – last year was even awesomer, but maybe we should go back to 2 days…

2015 CranFest V ~ (3-Day Long Weekend) July 31-Aug 2 – last year was awesome, how bout 3 days? and what the hell, why has that sound guy not been shreddin guitar on stage for the last 30 years?

2014 CranFest IV ~ Aug 8-10 – alright, let’s get this thing back up and running. maybe we should even think about having 2 bands this year…

2013 – nope, took a break

2012 CranFest III ~ Aug 11 – I wonder if The Earthmen would do a reunion show…

  • Saturday:
    • The Earthmen (SSI/Victoria, BC)

2011 CranFest II ~ Jul 16 – that was a fun family campout last year, we should do it again

2010 CranFest I ~ Jul 10 – a little Co-Op Preschool end of year BBQ. Coupla days before: Pete – hey, I know some guys in a band… Mark – oh cool, and I have some sound gear I could bring…

  • Saturday:
    • Lane 31 (SSI)
    • Band of Kids (SSI, Vancouver)

CranFest Collaborators

This event comes together because of a great little community of good friend volunteers whose participation and collaboration over the years has been Invaluable, Essential, and Very, Very Much Appreciated. These are the people to thank for anything and everything that goes on at CranFest.

Mark & Terena, Bruce E, Ken L, Michelle F, Ozzy F, Vi F, John H, Jim & Sheri, Gary & Andrea, Jamie F, Jo & Simon, Shauna D, Dan L, Alex & Sarah-Jane, David M, Harry W, Nic F, Jhafari, Tara & Martin, Dave V, Josh & Jess, Bodhi, Gaurang & Chris M, Wendi G, John R, Dennis L, Naomi J, Shay, Johnny A, Shannon & Kalvin, Heather F, Colin L, Pete & Vic, Greg B, Joe A, Ellis & Claire, Aki & Akiko, Nomi L, Daryl C, James C, David K, Jack & Candace, Enaunda, Rasha & Nadia, Lara G 🙂

Tree House Cafe, Guayaki, SSI Fruitcicles, Rhonan & SS Water, Living Water Media Services, Fogarty Accounting, Island Escapades (Now Coastal Current Adventures), Al’s Gourmet Falafel and Fries, Fix Tacos, Earth Candy Farm, Roly Poly Riceballs, Bellavance Welding, Fernwood Road Cafe, The Hen and Hound Farmstand, Duck Creek Farm, Haidee Hart/Woodshed Provisions, Windsor Farm, Huyen Springrolls, North End Farm, SSI Sea Products

And last but not least, it’s You and your Families, our Community, who bring your kids & their grandparents and your smiles and pitch your tents to make sharing this fun weekend experience together such a rewarding and positively connecting event.

Thank you all for helping us raise our kids together. And ourselves, too 🙂

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