The Kootenay Festival launches a new website

This celebration of arts and culture happens annually in Castlegar

(L to R) George Koochin, Steve Baal, Val Field, Peter Perepolkin, Harvey Batting, Suzanne Lehbauer, Netta Zeberoff and Joelle Beaulieu put the pedal to the metal in anticipation of Kootenay Festival 2012. — Breanne Massey photo

The Kootenay Festival in Castlegar is launching a new website so that people in both the East and West Kootenay will have access to information about the 2012 event.

The festival, which aims to celebrate multiculturalism within the Kootenays, is held in the community of Castlegar each summer.

"It takes place on July 14th and it’s outdoors," said Audrey Polovnikoff, the recreation and cultural programmer with the Castlegar & District Recreation Department. "It’s actually adjacent to the Doukhobor Discovery Centre, which has a great space."

The Kootenay Festival is a family celebration that includes special performances, a variety of cuisine, and educational and artisan displays. More than 2,000 people attended the festival in 2011, and the planning committee is excited to kick off 2012 with a social media platform.

This year, the Kootenay Festival will have a theme: Arts and culture to the 9th degree—celebrating all aspects of arts and culture within the Kootenay area. The planning committee, a team of 14, and more than 100 community volunteers have gone to great lengths to ensure the event is easily accessible to anybody in the area.

For more information, visit the Kootenay Festival website.