April 2016 Update

BCFESTIVAL 2017 in Region 2                                                      Thurs. to Sat. July 6, 7, 8, 2017
By Wendy Krueger,  Co-Chair                                                       VENUE: Cloverdale Rodeo Grounds

     What a beautiful early spring day it is to sit outside and think about dancing at exciting big events in the coming months of summer.  Square dancing is the most fun I have ever had, period. I so enjoy my travels to square dance venues like Circle 8 Ranch in WA State, and to big and small festivals in Regina SK, Campbell River BC, Albany OR, Helena MT, Pendleton OR, Mt. Vernon WA, Lola MT, to name a few, and let’s not forget to give a shout out for the completely fabulous annual Pacific Northwest Teen Festival.  My love of square dance festivals started right here in Abbotsford when our region hosted the 2005 BC Square Dance Festival at the Agrifair grounds. I had only been dancing for 3 years at that time.  I was SO IMPRESSED with the chance to dance with people from all over BC and WA State, and to meet and dance to callers and cuers from all over as well. I was already starting to run a square dance club in the elementary school where I taught. I met Nick and Mary Anne Turner at the Festival that year, the authors/compilers of Moving and Grooving, a folk and square dance program for schools and community groups.  We became friends and I began promoting the M & G program to teachers and the BCTF. Dancing at the Festival opened my eyes to the wider world of Square Dancers that is out there. And, hey, it is still a kick to wear the outfit I sewed for that festival, featuring our raspberry themed fabric.
      So what is the thrust of this edition of my monthly article promoting BCFestival 2017? The fun you never knew you could have! A festival is like going on the rides at the fairgrounds when you are a kid. There is so much going on of all the things you love to do. The people are all happy. Everything you do is about the fun. And you can make some great new friends there, too. Not only will you meet people you’ll be so glad you got to know, but there will be some people there who turn out to be VERY pleased to have met you, too.
     Our Publicity and Promotion couple, Alex and Jean Galbraith, are working hard to get the word out to all the known world about BCFestival 2017. And they are counting on the rest of us to get excited and tell others about it. If you are behind the festival in principle, please register early. The venue payments need to be made out of those early registrations. We need money flowing in monthly to be able to smoothly meet our obligations. Apart from committee members, the first fifty registrants will be entered in an early bird draw for a free registration. Now there’s a good reason to register among the first 50.
     Yes, it is a beautiful early April day today as I write, one year and three months till BCFestival 2017. I am looking forward to it already! How about you?